Ghost
by Maddie Rose
Summary: Jacinta Wallace is burdened by a legacy. Trapped within the walls of Mount Weather, she longs for the outside she can never see. Then a horrific accident leaves Jacinta the victim of radiation, healed when Sky People bone marrow is injected into her. She becomes someone different...something different. But could a Mountain Girl ever find trust among the Sky People? Bellamy/OC
1. Legacy

**Chapter One: Legacy**

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 **A/N: So, my first foray into the 100 fandom. I know that a lot of people write about Bellamy paired with an Ark OC or a Grounder OC. I'm aware that this might not be very popular considering it is (to my knowledge, at least) the first Mount Weather OC paired with him.**

 **This chapter is mainly setting the scene, so there's no Bellamy yet, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Please let me know what you think :)**

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She dreamed of what lay outside the cold stone walls of the mountain. It wasn't a fleeting dream. It didn't just pass by in a moment. It was something she had yearned for with her entire being for years. But every year that passed, every birthday made her all the more painfully aware of the fact that she had never seen the outside. She had never even seen the sun, because they all feared the radiation poisoning that would come with it. But she wanted to _live_ before she died, not just survive.

Jacinta Wallace was born underground. She was a fourth-generation Mount Weather inhabitant. Expecting that she would be able to find a way to survive on the surface was laughable. But tomorrow would be her eighteenth birthday – the eighteenth cold year she spent underground, and the fifteenth year since her mother walked out into the sunlight because she wanted to experience the real world, even if it cost her life.

 _We need to live real lives, not just survive down here._ Those had been her words, and as small as she'd been, Jacinta could remember them perfectly. Her mother Nessa had been restless – yet another thing Jacinta had inherited from her, as well as her glossy auburn hair and startlingly blue eyes.

But on her eighteenth birthday, her entire world was thrown into uncertainty, starting from the moment that her dad woke her up. It was still dark, far too early for Jacinta to be waking up on her birthday, of all days. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but Cage Wallace held up his hand for quiet, and when the head of security wanted something, even his daughter knew to fall into line.

"We can talk about birthday stuff later. The most important thing is that you're an adult now. It's time to show you what being an adult means."

Baffled, Jacinta pushed herself up from her bed. No 'happy birthday', just this? Usually her dad was more accommodating, but his dark eyes were gleaming and she could tell that he meant business. Licking her dry lips, she grabbed a jacket and pulled it around her shoulders. Despite having lived in Mount Weather her whole life, that was something she seemed unable to acclimatise to: the cold.

As a small child, she had followed Cage down most of these corridors. Often, she would go to her grandfather, President Dante, and watch him paint, although she didn't have the knack for such art herself. That had always been Jacinta's way. Quiet and observant, but inwardly restless. Craving things she had no right to want, and no possible means of ever having.

Cage swiped his access card at a door, stepping inside before ushering for Jacinta to follow. Her eyes being so used to the bright fluorescent lights of the corridors, it took a moment for them to adjust to the darkness that she was met with. But once she was able to take in her surroundings, Jacinta had to fight back a scream. Two people were hanging upside down from vices, blood pumping out of their bodies and into clear bags.

It wasn't the worst of it. As she followed her dad into the dimly-lit room, she saw rows upon rows of cages. The prisoners kept inside stared at her with feral eyes, savage anger. Grounders. She had seen a few of them before, but not like this. She went to kneel in front of one of the cages, before her dad grabbed her arm and hauled away.

"Don't go near them, Jacinta."

"But…what's happening here?" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to make sense of it. The imprisoned Grounders, the unconscious ones having blood drawn from them a little at a time…she didn't understand it. It frightened her, both the darkness and the fact that there was something going on behind locked doors that only now her dad saw fit to tell her about.

"The Grounders can survive outside, in the radiation." Cage gestured to the ones hanging upside down. "We can't. When people are exposed to radiation, they are given a treatment to help them heal. What do you think is in that treatment, Jacinta?"

She didn't need to guess, for she knew the answer with cold certainty now. She had of course seen the treatment in effect – Dr Tsing would administer a mysterious 'treatment' to radiation sufferers. Jacinta had asked about it, as a child. The doctor had smiled patiently and replied that it was a mix of medical ingredients that wouldn't make sense to someone who hadn't studied medicine. The truth was far simpler, but far more horrible.

"Don't you want to go outside, Jacey?" Cage gripped his daughter by the shoulders and turned her to face him, his tone affectionate and his use of her childhood nickname no doubt intended to calm her. "Wouldn't you like to be able to see the world outside of Mount Weather – with your own eyes?"

She did. She would. He already knew that, which was why he was driving the point home. But although the Grounders were vicious and brutal, Jacinta hadn't quite made up her mind about what she thought of all of this. Her mind was still reeling from a truth that most adults in Mount Weather seemed to be aware of. They were all using the blood for radiation, and they didn't bat an eyelid at where it came from. Why should she? Grounders had killed their people before. Yet despite her attempts at self-conviction, it wasn't what she truly believed.

"But this is the cost?" Jacinta asked in a small voice, causing Cage to release her and sigh, raking a hand through his dark hair. He looked down at his daughter with a mixture of despair and resignation.

"You're so much like your grandfather sometimes. You know that?"

Jacinta couldn't help but smile a little at that. "I'm not sure that's true."

"One day, I will be President, when your grandfather dies." Cage observed his daughter, watching as she stepped towards the motionless Grounders. She realised now that what hung before her was an opportunity at survival. But more than that, it was her family's legacy. "You'll inherit that position after me. The first female President of Mount Weather, and maybe even what lies outside it."

Jacinta swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mother, driven mad by the thought of remaining in Mount Weather her entire life, had walked out into the sun knowing what would happen. What if they were to do the same, but with a different result? Was it worth the deaths of countless Grounders so they could have life beyond the mountain they called home?

"Who else knows about this?" Jacinta asked, turning to glance over her shoulder.

"All of the adults, of course." Cage's tone was light and he stepped towards her, clearly seeing that she was shaken. He kissed the top of her head. "I told you, you're an adult now. Happy birthday, Jacey."


	2. The Harvest

**Chapter Two: The Harvest**

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 **A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed the first chapter! And a big thank you to justsmile17 for helping me out with this chapter - if you haven't read her stories, "Free to Live, Free to Love" and "Never Stop Fighting", then you're missing out and should definitely go and read them! She's also writing a Game of Thrones story, so keep your eyes peeled for that!**

 **Bellamy won't make an appearance until chapter 4 or chapter 5 - but don't worry, Jacinta will be interacting with other Delinquents during that time :) Please let me know what you think!**

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Jacinta didn't know how to feel about the atrocity she had witnessed. The bodies of Grounders strung up like drying meat, and more of them cooped up in countless cages in the Harvest Chamber. A harvest…her lip curled. It sounded as though they were growing crops within that room, instead of draining people of their blood. She could not help but wonder how many of them had died there, down in the darkness.

She had always known that turning eighteen was a big deal. It was the final transition into adulthood, where she would no longer be considered a dependent minor within their society. Ever since her best friend Maya Vie had turned eighteen a few months ago, Jacinta had waited in frustrated anticipation for her turn. Only now that it had arrived, it seemed there was a rite of passage to undergo: seeing the 'medicine' that really healed radiation burns.

Raking a hand through her auburn hair, Jacinta made her way back to her bedroom, suddenly feeling extremely tired and worn out. It hadn't been easy, what she'd seen. To process the fact that her grandfather, the President, was allowing such a thing to happen…but as her dad had said, everyone knew about it. So either everyone approved, or those who questioned it were silenced.

"Happy birthday, Jacinta."

The voice caused her to tense involuntarily, an instinctive reaction in _his_ presence. She spun around, unsmiling as Carl Emerson walked towards her. He was her dad's right-hand man and very important within the security network. He was never anything but polite and civil to Jacinta. Yet that didn't do anything to dispel her intense dislike of him. As Emerson approached, she folded her arms so that her body language indicated she didn't want to talk to him.

"Eighteen now, right?" He persisted when Jacinta offered no obligatory 'thank you'. Again she remained silent. He knew exactly how old she was, he was just trying to make conversation and she was in no mood to be social in any case, let alone being social with Emerson.

"Yes, eighteen," she replied crisply, opening the door to the Wallace family residence. She didn't understand why Emerson strived so hard, but she attributed it to the fact that she was Cage's daughter, and he wanted to stay in Cage's good books. Emerson caught her arm, not hard but the touch alone was enough to make her flinch away from him, her back colliding with the solid metal door behind her.

"Whoa." Emerson frowned. He was obviously aware that she didn't like him, but he'd never seen her react quite like that. "You okay?"

"Don't touch me," Jacinta spat, venom dripping from her voice. She was not fiery by nature, she did not generally think herself above anyone. But the words that flowed from her now were products of instinct, not rational thought. "Stay the hell away from me, Emerson."

"Is everything alright?"

Dante Wallace stood just inside the door, peering outside. To Jacinta he was her grandfather, but to Emerson he was the President of Mount Weather. Emerson straightened up and took a step away from Jacinta, and she was unable to prevent her smile of satisfaction.

"Yes, Mr President. I was just wishing Jacinta a happy birthday, sir."

Dante turned his attention upon his granddaughter. "Come in. I hear you had an early morning."

Jacinta nodded, not even sparing Emerson another glance as she followed her grandfather into the family quarters. She felt her shoulders relaxing and relief sweep over her as he closed the thick metal door behind them. Immediately, she made a beeline for the kitchen to start preparing a tea. Dante was an avid fan of the chai tea she was so fond of making, and he claimed it helped him de-stress. Well, that would make two of them.

"I'll never understand what you have against Carl," Dante said a little disapprovingly as he eased himself into a seat. "You can be quite rude to him, Jacey."

 _Jacey._ The childhood nickname that reminded her she was no longer a child. Dante had not been the one to adopt the nickname, but he had picked it up all the same. She remained silent as she added a teaspoon of sugar to Dante's tea. She didn't owe her grandfather an explanation. She didn't owe anyone an explanation. If Emerson honestly couldn't process what he'd done wrong, that was his own fault. This was no childish grudge, she knew that much.

"Tea," she announced, setting the mug on the table in front of her grandfather. Before she could sit across from Dante, the door opened and Cage strode in. Jacinta bit down on her lip, not particularly wanting to deal with her dad after how intense the Harvest Chamber had been. It seemed as though Cage didn't really want her around either, because he frowned slightly.

"Jacinta, I need to speak with your grandfather, alone."

She heaved a sigh and left her tea untouched. In all honesty, she was grateful to be excused from their presence. The Harvest Chamber was a heavy topic, and she had the feeling that was what Cage wanted to discuss with Dante. Licking her lips, she nodded and resolved to find Maya. She needed someone to talk to who wasn't so heavily involved with all of this.

* * *

"So?" Dante asked, surveying Cage over his mug of chai tea. He knew what had occurred that morning, why Jacinta was suddenly a bundle of nerves. It was the same thing that had happened on Cage's own eighteenth birthday, two decades ago. She had been shown the Harvest Chamber, and had the difficult truth explained to her. "How did she take it?"

"Better than I'd expected," Cage admitted, raking a hand through his dark hair. It had been difficult for him to raise Jacinta alone. Dante knew that he missed Nessa, and a child as inquisitive as Jacinta could be hard to handle. She asked so many questions, but Cage had been little different at that age. "She…wasn't happy, but I'm confident that she'll come to understand why it's necessary for our survival."

Dante nodded slowly. He didn't particularly like the Harvest Project either, but over the years he had come to appreciate its value in keeping them alive. Without it, they would die whenever a radiation leak occurred. It was a fate he didn't wish upon his son and his granddaughter. Jacinta may be troubled, but there was nothing she could do about the Harvest Project without condemning her people – and she was not selfish enough to do that.

"How are the blood tests going?"

It had been the same for decades, and Dante was beginning to reflect on how stagnant the whole process was. They drew blood from the Grounders and used to heal any radiation wounds – however the process was not yet advanced enough for the residents of Mount Weather to go outside. Cage was working hard on it, having employed medical expert Dr Lorelei Tsing to research.

"Nothing new just yet." Cage sighed heavily, and Dante knew that his son felt he was a disappointment at times. Yet Dante was proud of how hard his son was trying to make advancements with what little resources they had. "But things will be different now that we have the 48."

Dante considered this with some apprehension. Yes, they had captured forty-eight teenagers who had crashed to Earth's surface from the space station in the sky known as the Ark. They hadn't yet begun initial tests on the blood, but Dr Tsing thought that because they had been exposed to solar radiation for their entire lives, their blood might even be stronger than that of the Grounders.

Of course, they were children. Jacinta's age, if not younger. It seemed like a distasteful thing to do, and Dante still wasn't certain whether experimenting on children was worth it for the sake of their people. So far he was taking things step by step. One of the 48, Clarke Griffin, had proved particularly troublesome. She had vanished altogether, although Dante couldn't stop to worry about her considering there was so much more at stake.

One day in the not so distant future, Dante would retire from his position as President. Cage would succeed him – but he had no doubts his son would make a good leader. It was Jacinta who needed closer observation, for she would take on Cage's current position as head of security. Three generations of male Presidents, and then Jacinta. It would certainly be a change.

* * *

Dinner was a communal affair that Jacinta often avoided. She had her group of friends she liked to eat with privately, but today was her eighteenth birthday and Cage had firmly insisted that she accompany them. As she entered the dining hall, Jacinta noted there were quite a few new people at the tables below. She glanced at her dad and frowned. Everyone knew everyone in Mount Weather, so who were these newcomers? They certainly didn't look like Grounders.

Jacinta took her seat beside her dad, watching the newcomers curiously. They all looked around her age, which astonished her. She was one of younger residents of Mount Weather, so where could these teenagers have come from? She glanced at her dad, who was eating his meal, dark eyes raking over the dining hall.

"Who are they?" Jacinta asked quietly, indicating the teenagers. Many of them seemed to be having a great time, laughing and joking amongst themselves.

"They're the 48," Cage said, and then amended himself with a displeased scowl. "Well, the 47 now. The Ark sent down a group of juvenile delinquents to see if the Earth was habitable. We managed to get quite a few of them."

Jacinta lapsed into silence. If these teenagers could survive on the surface of the planet without anti-radiation gear, she didn't have to ask her dad what their purpose was. They were going to have their blood harvested, same as the Grounders. Judging by their enthusiastic behaviour, they probably hadn't been told this just yet. A sick feeling wormed its way into her stomach, and she pushed away her plate of food. Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry.

"What do you mean the 47 _now_?" She kept her voice deliberately calm, but inside she was panicking. She really hoped that didn't mean one of the Sky People had already died during the blood extraction.

"One of them escaped," Cage informed her in a low voice, but by the way his eyes flashed, it was obviously something that greatly displeased him. Jacinta could imagine why – if there were more Sky People on the surface, they would be alerted to what was going on. The Grounders would be fools if they didn't know, but she knew that their weapons were primitive. The same couldn't be said for the Sky People, from what she had seen.

"Do we know where they went?" Jacinta asked.

"We'll find out," Cage replied with determination, taking another forkful of his meal before turning his attention on his daughter again. "There's more to it than that. You've probably been wondering how we lure the Grounders into the mountain in the first place."

Jacinta fell silent. No, she hadn't really wondered, because she had been trying to keep her mind off the Harvest Project altogether. Talking to Maya had helped, but Maya hadn't told her about the 48. Obviously this was a fairly recent development in the Harvest Project, because Maya was a medical assistant so she would know. Nonetheless, it hadn't been what their conversation had consisted of – mainly which cute security boys they would flirt with, although Jacinta knew in her case that would be asking for trouble.

"I should introduce you to the Cerberus Project too," Cage said thoughtfully, "It's how the Harvest Project can occur. The strongest Grounders are turned into Reapers, injected with something known as the red drug. They become addicted to it and they bring other Grounders to us in exchange for another hit of the drug."

Now Jacinta felt even sicker. Bile was rising in her throat and she thought she might vomit. Not only were they using blood from unwilling subjects, they were also manipulating Grounders through drugs to bring in their own. She pushed her chair back, the resulting squeak of wood grating against wood making everyone at the table look up. Her cheeks were flaming and her dad frowned at her.

"Jacinta, aren't you going to eat your food?"

She mumbled some excuse about not being hungry and hurried from the hall. How could something like this be considered normal? Did most Mount Weather citizens know the full truth behind what was going on? Jacinta hurried into the Wallace residence and stumbled into the bathroom. The feeling of sickness was gone, but she still splashed cold water over her face, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

If not for the treatments, many of them wouldn't be alive. She wondered if her mum had refused the treatments, before she had walked out into the sunlight. Was that part of the reason she had done it, because she had known the terrible truth that kept them alive? She knew the other parts, parts that only made her stomach twist more when she thought about them.

Forcing herself away from the bathroom sink, Jacinta took a few calming breaths. She would deal with the truth, as her dad had done, as every Wallace had done. She would become President one day, and head of security before that. She needed to have an iron will, and to stop letting her heart play games with her mind. Since the world had ended, surely everyone did horrific things in the name of survival.

* * *

When she heard that Maya had been severely burned in a radiation leak, Jacinta headed to the infirmary, concerned and suspicious. It had been months since the last leak, and the fact that it had occurred in the dormitory where Maya had been visiting the 47 just seemed too convenient. A guard opened his mouth as if to try and stop her as she marched towards Maya's room, but when Dr Tsing gave him a meaningful look, he stepped out of the way and Jacinta continued into the room.

Maya was lying on the bed, her eyes closed, peacefully asleep. Her burns were already beginning to fade fast, like nothing Jacinta had ever seen. She had lurked around while Maya helped tend to burn victims in the past, and their skin took days to heal from the treatment she now knew to be Grounder blood. But Maya…she was recovering fast, very fast.

On the bed beside Maya's, a dark-haired boy about their own age was fast asleep as well. A tube connected his arm to Maya's, and Jacinta immediately understood what was happening. This boy was one of the 47, one of the Sky People. Someone cleared their throat, and Jacinta turned to see a boy of Asian descent sitting in a chair beside the sleeping boy, watchful and suspicious.

"Um, hi." She offered him a large, false smile. "My name's Jacinta Wallace. What's your name?"

"Monty." His tone was flat and unaccommodating. It was obvious that he didn't trust them, and personally Jacinta felt he was justified in that. "He's my friend, Jasper. There was a leak…"

Dr Tsing walked over with a smile plastered across her face that didn't reach her eyes. Jacinta had never liked the doctor much. Everything about her was false, her demeanour specifically engineered to encourage a degree of trust in her victims. Obviously, that wasn't working on Monty, as it never had on Jacinta. She caught Jacinta gently by the arm, her gaze flicking briefly back to Maya.

"Miss Wallace, can we talk outside?"

Jacinta didn't see how she could refuse without making a big drama and causing Monty to get even more suspicious. She nodded curtly, following Dr Tsing from the room. The doctor closed the door quietly behind them, and Jacinta frowned as her dad walked over to them. Had he known about all this? It couldn't be just a coincidence, she was certain that it wasn't.

"How did it go?" Cage asked.

"Very well." Dr Tsing offered him a pleased smile, her eyes glittering. It was only when medical treatments went well that she was happy, Jacinta noted. "It's proving to be a lot faster and more effective than using Grounder blood. The girl is almost completely healed…"

"Did you set this up?" Jacinta demanded, not caring that she was interrupting Dr Tsing. She needed to know the truth, hear it from her dad's own mouth. It was a horrible thought, and she really hoped that she was wrong, that it was just a freak accident and she was overreacting for nothing. But if Maya had been put in harm's way on purpose…

Cage's expression was shocked for about a second, but it took only a split second for Jacinta to determine the truth. He exchanged a glance with Dr Tsing and then shook his head slowly, stepping forward and gripping her by the shoulders. She bit down on her lip, wondering whether maybe she shouldn't have asked.

"Of course not, Jacey. These things, radiation leaks…they happen. I'm sorry that your friend was injured, but look on the bright side – the blood is so effective that she's almost fully healed already."

Jacinta knew that it was good news for Maya, so she faked a smile for that part. But it was definitely bad news for the teenage Sky People being kept in Mount Weather. There weren't nearly enough of them to keep up sufficient blood transfusions over a permanent period, Jacinta didn't medical experience to know that. She licked her dry lips and glanced back at the room Maya was recovering in. Things were going to go badly for the Sky People, that much she could tell.


	3. Sky People

**Chapter Three: Sky People**

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 **A/N: Hey everyone! As always, thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows, it means a lot. Now Bellamy will be coming in during chapter 5 - next chapter is pretty much dedicated to the Mount Weather residents because there's going to be a big revelation involving Nessa's death and why Jacinta doesn't like Carl Emerson. Any guesses until then are welcome ;) But until then, please let me know what you think of this chapter!**

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Jacinta looked around the infirmary at the Sky People who had shown up to willingly donate their blood for future treatments. She was so relieved that Maya had recovered so quickly, but despite her dad's claims, she was greatly troubled by the possibility that Maya's 'accident' hadn't been an accident at all. So when she saw Cage and Dante in the medical supply unit, she offered some mundane excuse to Dr Tsing and strode over to stand just outside the door.

"I've got to hand it to you." Cage sounded thrilled, and Jacinta dared to peep through the transparent plastic to see her dad's wide grin. "We're getting the most effective treatments we've ever had, and it's all because you asked nicely."

Dante stepped forward and grabbed Cage by the back of the neck. Jacinta restrained a gasp. Her grandpa had always been so warm and paternal, so patient and tolerant of her constant questioning. Yet she could tell by how tense his frame was that he was pissed, and it was to do with her dad.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Dante asked, so quietly that Jacinta had to lean closer just to hear. "Tell me you weren't behind the breach that almost killed Maya."

Jacinta's stomach lurched and a lump caught in her throat. So she wasn't the only one who suspicious. She hated feeling as though her dad could have been responsible for something so terrible, wanted to blame it all on Dr Tsing who she'd never liked. But Jacinta had to begrudgingly admit to herself that the doctor would never have the gumption to go against Dante…unless someone else with a good deal of power was backing her.

"I wasn't." Cage sounded indignant, and Jacinta really did want to believe him. "Dad, I wouldn't…I wouldn't do that."

"I love you, Cage." Dante's voice was low and threatening. Jacinta didn't ever think she'd heard her grandpa sound so intimidating. "Our family have held the office of presidency since the bombs. But if I find out you're lying, Mount Weather will see its first female and youngest President. Am I making myself clear?"

Jacinta swallowed hard as she realised what Dante meant. Cage was next in line to the presidency after him, but the thought that he might be skipped entirely, that the role would fall to her…it made her feel lightheaded, as though the burden of the role was already a physical thing sitting on her shoulders. She pushed herself away from the plastic wall, her hands shaking.

The severity of the situation was very clear to her now. Dante had never threatened Cage like that before, to her knowledge. Licking her dry lips, she headed back over to the beds to see a young medical assistant was taking notes on the Sky People. When he turned to look at her, she groaned inaudibly.

"Oh hey, Jacey." Taran Brant offered her a charming smile. He was a popular, easy-going guy that everyone around their age liked. Jacinta didn't dislike him exactly, but she marvelled at his ability to act as though they'd never slept together six months before. "How's Maya doing?"

"She's a lot better than she was." Jacinta stuffed her hands into her pockets. She was still awkward around Taran. She'd thought they were getting themselves into a relationship. Apparently, she'd been wrong, and having sex a few times had just been passing fun. He was almost twenty now and only had a year or so left before he would qualify as a doctor.

 _Stop thinking about Taran!_

"We're having a movie night at the common room on Level 2." Taran continued to take notes, offering Jacinta a glance. "7pm tonight, wanna come?"

"No thanks." Jacinta shook her head, trying to sound disinterested without being rude. She liked her own little girls' night sessions when it came to movies, with Maya and a select few others. Besides, 'movie nights' with Taran had been how everything had started. She didn't want to repeat the same mistakes.

Glancing back towards the medical supply unit, Jacinta turned and headed for the infirmary door, thinking about what she had just overheard. Perhaps the situation was worse than she had initially anticipated.

* * *

Cage watched with his arms folded over his chest as Keenan Mykulak woke up outside Mount Weather. Dr Tsing had convinced him that they needed this experiment, and while he knew that she was right, there was something rather disturbing about it. Perhaps it was because his wife Nessa had died walking out into the sunlight years before. Maybe it was that Keenan was only a few years older than Jacinta. Nonetheless, he held his tongue as Keenan got up and observed her surroundings.

Cage wanted to believe that it would work. The blood they had used from the Sky People so far had already had incredible results. Maya had healed extremely quickly from her radiation burns. If only Dante wasn't on his case. It had been difficult for Cage to lie to his father, but he had known that there was no other option. Dante wasn't ready to accept how important this experimentation was. But if Cage could produce viable results, he was sure that Dante would come around to it. He watched the screen as Keenan started to blister as rain fell from the sky.

"Four minute, ten seconds." Dr Tsing sounded as though she was impressed, as though Keenan was a scientific experiment rather than a Mount Weather resident they had just sacrificed. She looked down at her clipboard and wrote down some notes. "We're making progress."

Cage had never actually seen Nessa's death, only her marred body in the aftermath. Was this what it had been like for his wife? He shoved aside his personal connection to what was happening. He was chief of security. He couldn't afford to let attachment and past experience cloud his judgement. Only when Keenan's cries ascended into screams, he shook his head slowly.

"She's in pain, I'm bringing her in."

"Do you trust her not to talk?" Dr Tsing turned to look at Cage as he picked up a walkie talkie, her eyes wide. In the momentary silence, Keenan's desperate sobs resonated through the room. Cage had to admit that she was right – Keenan would likely let word slip to Dante about what was going on, and then the President would carry out on his threat. Dr Tsing's shoulders relaxed as Cage reluctantly put the walkie-talkie down. "Might as well get a full reading."

"The blood of the 47 could be a permanent solution, that's what you said." Cage's jaw was clenched, his hands balled into fists. He was not a man devoid of mercy, and what they were putting Keenan through was not easy to him to accept.

Dr Tsing turned away from him, looking back at the screen. "Science takes time, Cage. There are dead ends and blind alleys on the path to every breakthrough."

"You call that a blind alley?" Cage walked over, pointing to Keenan on the screen, who was hunched over in pain. "She's one of us."

"No, of course not." Dr Tsing sounded scandalised. "I call that a sacrifice for the greater good."

She examined Keenan's body with a detached professionalism. Cage knew that she was a doctor, that she was doing this for the greater good, but sometimes he doubted Dr Tsing. Sometimes he doubted that she really felt anything at all.

* * *

"You rejected a movie date with Taran?" Maya asked slyly over a bag of corn chips, her mischievous grin causing Jacinta to nudge her in the ribs. Maya was one of the few who knew exactly what had ended up happening between Taran and Jacinta. Although Jacinta knew she had made a stupid decision, Maya had never judged her for it.

"I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice." Jacinta shook her head slowly. Besides, she found that Maya was a lot better company than Taran. Maya didn't attempt to sling her arm around Jacinta's shoulders when Jacinta just wanted to watch a movie in peace. Both of them had bigger problems than squabbling over which 90-year-old movie they were going to screen in any case. The boys always went for _Armageddon_ , while the girls insisted upon an ancient sappy romance called _The Notebook_.

"I wasn't in the mood for a movie," Maya murmured, glancing around them as if worried they would be overheard from where they were sprawled on Jacinta's bed. "There's a lot on my mind with the Sky People and everything, you know?"

"Do you mean Jasper?" Jacinta inquired, feigning innocence. It had not escaped her notice that Maya had become very close with a particular member of the Sky People. It didn't bother Jacinta – Jasper seemed like a sweet guy. She couldn't help but smirk as Maya's cheeks flushed red.

"I'm just worried about them. You've seen the Harvest Chamber now, you know what's going to happen to them."

Jacinta mulled over this quietly. The Sky People were just kids. Now that Maya had interacted with them and talked about them, Jacinta was even more reluctant to see them go through what the Grounders had been through in that Harvest Chamber. She rubbed her friend's shoulder when she saw that Maya's eyes were welling with tears. She had always been the more emotional of the two girls.

"We can figure something out." Normally she wouldn't have said such a thing, but after hearing the conversation between Cage and Dante, she knew that even her grandfather was suspicious. He didn't want people suffering for their benefit. She got that from him, apparently, but it seemed like Cage had missed out on that particular gene.

"You want to help them too?" Maya glanced at her incredulously, as she had expected that Jacinta would chastise her.

"Of course." Jacinta said, then blurted out words she knew that she would later regret. "We need to show them."

* * *

"Hey, guys!" Maya cheerily walked into the room where the 47 were bunking, a notepad in her hand. Jacinta followed warily. Unlike Maya, she'd had very little interaction with the Sky People since their arrival. She leaned in the doorway, watching as her friend crossed over to Monty and Jasper, showing them the words scrawled in permanent marker on the page. "Jasper, I'm so glad to see you're feeling better."

The boys' eyes widened, but they played along. "Thanks, I am. You look, um, rested."

"It's pizza day," Maya continued in that light tone. It was true – every week a lot of the youths raided the kitchens and made pizzas, which were then distributed around Mount Weather. Some of the more eager ones would even act as a pizza delivery service for people. "Who's hungry?"

Jasper and Monty followed Maya over to the door, and Jacinta raised her eyebrows coolly when they looked a bit surprised to see her. As they exited the dorm, she could hear Jasper talking to Maya in a low voice.

"Can we, uh, trust her? She's the President's granddaughter, isn't she?"

"How astute of you." Jacinta flashed a belittling smile over her shoulder. She led the way to the storage unit, punching in the code and looking around to make sure that they hadn't been followed. When it was clear that the corridor was deserted, she pulled open the door and they all filed in. Maya spun to face the boys, her eyes wide and tearful.

"We don't have much time, but we can talk freely here."

"What the hell is going on?" Jasper demanded, in a tone that Jacinta didn't like too much. Instead, she remained silent and let Maya do the talking. These were Maya's friends, not hers. Maya started crying and Jacinta reached over to rub her friend's arm, throwing Jasper a cautionary look as he stepped closer.

"Maya?"

"I'm sorry."

"What do you mean, it wasn't an accident?" Jasper inquired, referring to the words that had been written on the paper about the radiation leak.

Monty answered for her. "She means they exposed her to radiation on purpose. I'm betting it was to get you to agree to be her blood brother."

Maya nodded slowly, wiping away tears. Jacinta rubbed circles on her back. She didn't feel really too friendly towards these boys, although she understood that Maya had taken a particular liking to Jasper.

"I knew it," Monty stated. "Clarke was right."

"Monty, be quiet," Jasper said, his eyes landing on Jacinta. Jacinta didn't know a whole lot about Clarke – she had never met the girl, but she'd heard the story about her escape. She just rolled her eyes at Jasper's obvious suspicion of her. Jasper turned his attention back to Maya. "Did you know about this? Why would they do that to you?"

"Because the standard treatment sucks compared to you," Maya admitted. It was something Jacinta hadn't realised, and she glanced at her friend with raised eyebrows, before her friend continued. "Your blood is a lot more potent."

"That's what Dante said," Jasper muttered, causing a chill to run up Jacinta's spine.

"What's the standard treatment?" Monty asked, not quite understanding.

Maya's eyes flicked over to the vent at the back of the room. "Through there."

She turned and led the way through the darkness, skirting past dusty shelves. Jacinta swallowed hard. She knew what she would see if she followed. She knew what was in the Harvest Chamber, and she had no desire to see it again. Monty and Jasper peered curiously through the vent.

"Are those Grounders?" Jasper asked, sounding astonished.

"Wait a second. Why are you showing us this?" Monty turned to face Maya, his eyes narrowing in accusation.

"You're welcome…" Jacinta murmured under her breath. So much for gratitude. But when she looked to her friend, she saw that Maya was deeply troubled.

"Because I'm afraid that you're next," Maya confessed, tears welling in her eyes.

* * *

Dante was not entirely sure what Cage was planning, but he was no fool. His son had some kind of intention in leading him out through the door and into the bright sunlight. Both of them were wearing hazmat suits and gas masks to protect them from the elements. Dante's gaze raked over the mountains looming close, and the field of yellow flowers that stretched out before them.

"What are we doing out here?" He questioned of his son.

Cage turned to face him. "I told you to trust me."

"Son…" Dante cautioned as Cage reached up and peeled off the gas mask, sucking in a deep breath of air. He wasn't sure how the blood transfusion would work once they were outside Mount Weather. He had only been outside once, a long time ago now, before Cage had even been born.

"It worked." Cage looked at his dad, looking thrilled and nodding fervently. "It's okay. You had the same treatment I did. Go ahead."

Slowly, Dante pulled off the gas mask, body tensed for a few moments as he prepared for the onslaught of blisters…but nothing came. He strode forward, eyes filled with wonder as he breathed in outside air. It was fresh, unlike the air that was pumped through Mount Weather. The scent of flowers was on the light breeze, as well as that of the trees.

"I'd forgotten the smells."

Cage smiled at his father's positive reaction. "This is where we belong. You always told me that the surface was our true home, not some concrete coffin."

Dante plucked a yellow flower and inhaled its sweet scent. He remembered how his daughter-in-law had run out through that door, fifteen years before. By the time they had retrieved her, she had been too far gone for the standard treatment to work on her. Perhaps Cage had not seen the change in Nessa, but Dante had. The typically vibrant woman had become a shell.

"We have to go back now," Cage remarked after a peaceful silence. "We only have a few minutes. Come on."

Dante lowered the flower from his nose, disappointed. He wondered what Jacinta would have to say if she could see the outside world. She yearned for the outside as Nessa had, as Cage still did. Dante had hoped that his granddaughter's generation would call this world home, but at what cost?

"Dad?" Cage asked, glancing over his shoulder as Dante made no move to follow.

Dante looked hard at the younger man. "Don't play with me, son. What will it take to stay?"

"Bone marrow," Cage admitted, making no attempt to beat around the bush. "All that they have."

"They'll die so that we can finally live," Dante said softly. He turned back and inhaled from the flower one last time. What sort of legacy was he leaving behind if he chose to go down that path? It was too late for him and Cage. He had hoped Jacinta would be able to become President without blood on her hands.

"This is our world," Cage assured him, his tone vehement. "We deserve this."

"We are the keepers of history," Dante said sternly, glancing at him with hard blue eyes. "What we've done to the outsiders has corrupted our legacy. I can't go down that road any further."

"Dad…" Cage turned to him as Dante headed back towards the door. The older man turned to face his son as he stood in the doorway. "Dad! Please."

"The answer is no," Dante said firmly. He would not see Jacinta follow the same pattern that he and Cage had, trapping Grounders and bringing them in to meet a final fate. If there was another way, he would gladly take it. But although he wanted his granddaughter to see the ground for herself, he did not want her tainted by corruption.

* * *

"Heard you and Grandpa went outside today," Jacinta said sullenly as she spooned up another mouthful of soup. It was true that she did not agree with what was being done to the Grounders, what would be done to the Sky People if she and Maya didn't succeed in stopping it. But the knowledge that Dante and Cage had both been outside _without her_ still stung.

Cage offered her a wan smile. "Maybe you can come next time."

"Yeah, whatever," Jacinta said with as much indifference as she could muster. She knew that Maya had taken the Sky People and they were going to Dante's office to look around. She had even given them her personal keycard, although she wasn't sure what would happen to her if they were discovered.

Cage frowned. "You've definitely had an attitude lately, Jacinta. Carl's picked up on it as well. You're rude towards him."

"I've _always_ been rude to him," Jacinta said slowly as if speaking to a dim-witted person, raising her eyebrows. Whatever sort of reaction Cage had been expecting, it clearly wasn't this. His brow furrowed further, dark eyes searching her face. She pressed her lips together tightly.

"What's gotten into you, Jacey? What do you mean, you've always been rude to him?"

"What, you've only just noticed?" She laughed mirthlessly, scraping the soup bowl noisily before setting it down with a clunk. "I don't like him. I never have, and I never will. I don't see why there's a point in pretending otherwise."

Jacinta felt that she was being very daring. Usually she was quiet about such things, never choosing to bring them up. Perhaps it was her anger in relation to the situation with the Sky People, and the fact that she didn't just want to sit down and shut up about it anymore. She'd had enough of being silent. She was her father's daughter, but she was also her mother's – and Nessa never would have stood for what was happening.

"Well, why not?" Cage demanded.

"Because I'm trying to protect you, okay?!" Jacinta slammed her fist down on the table, before raking a hand through her hair and pushing herself to her feet. She had said too much. "I'm going to bed. I'm really tired."

"Jacinta, wait." Cage's tone was commanding. "What do you mean, protect me? You aren't the parent here, what could you possibly be trying to protect me from? Carl is my friend, he wouldn't ever do something stupid, if that's what you're trying to say."

It wasn't what she was trying to say, not at all.

"Forget it. I don't want to talk about it."

Dumping her bowl in the sink, Jacinta strode to her room, slamming the door shut. She screwed her eyes shut and behind her eyelids, a fifteen-year-old argument between Carl and Nessa played over again and again.


	4. Survive Down Here

**Chapter Four: Survive Down Here**

* * *

 **A/N: So...Bellamy will be around next chapter, yay! In this chapter there are some revelations. I didn't get too many reviews for last chapter, which I admit was a bit disappointing. Nonetheless, please let me know if you enjoyed this one, feedback really is important to me. I really can't wait for Season 3 which starts in January.**

* * *

"No. I'm not doing it."

Jacinta folded her arms, accusing glare landing on Maya. This must have been her idea, because she couldn't see how the delinquents would suddenly have decided that they needed her help. It was a risky idea, and she wasn't sure that she had the guts to go through with it. Stealing engineering schematics from her grandfather's office wouldn't be a challenge for Jacinta – Dante loved and trusted her. Yet that was entirely the problem. It was a betrayal of that trust, and even if Dante never found out, _she_ would always know.

"Please, Jacinta." Maya's eyes were wide and pleading, causing her best friend to rake a hand through her auburn hair. The two girls were close, and now that Jacinta was involved with the delinquents…well, she was already in too deep. Like Maya, Jacinta despised what was going in within Mount Weather. This was her chance to make a difference, and so of course she was going to take it.

"If I get caught…"

"You won't," Maya assured her, offering a comforting smile. Jacinta was not convinced, but thoroughly troubled that she already knew what her answer would be. This was not mere teenage rebellion. If anyone else did this, it would be considered treason. She was using her position for the advantage of others, and much as she disliked doing it, she couldn't stand knowing that these kids would go through the same process as the Grounders. If Jacinta didn't do something about this, she would never be able to forgive herself.

Cage was already displeased. He had come in ranting about how the Sky People and the Grounders had formed an alliance. Her usually calm and collected father was rattled, Jacinta had seen it in his eyes. What she was doing, a betrayal from within, would only rattle him further. Firmly pushing such thoughts aside, she licked her dry lips, ignored the way her stomach squirmed with guilt, and nodded slowly.

"Alright. I'll do it."

Monty breathed a sigh of relief from where he had been standing silently beside Maya. "Thanks, Jacinta."

"If this goes wrong, I am going to be pissed at all of you," Jacinta warned, her gaze resting particularly on Maya. She cared about her best friend, she did, but Maya was making huge decisions that could have severe consequences. Not just for them, but for everyone inside Mount Weather. Jacinta was going along with it…for now.

* * *

Getting into the President's office was a metaphorical piece of cake. Jacinta had all of the access codes to her family's rooms – they apparently had no secrets, considering the fact that Jacinta would one day become head of security, and later President. Her gaze couldn't help but drift from her objective, lingering over the paintings her grandfather worked so hard on. He was always painting the outside world, although he hadn't seen it since long before even Cage had been born. It made Jacinta wish she could paint, and she sourly wondered why she couldn't have acquired that artistic skill.

Turning her mind back onto the mission at hand, Jacinta headed over to her grandfather's desk. She knew that the engineering schematics were present both in hard copy and paper form. The paper form wouldn't be missed too much, and it would be a lot harder to track down who had taken it if anything suspicious came to light. Jacinta knelt down and started rummaging around the papers in her grandfather's drawers.

"Jacinta."

The familiar voice made her jerk to her feet, heart hammering in her chest. Her dad or grandfather were one matter, but Carl Emerson was another. Jacinta clenched her hands into fists and narrowed her eyes at him, as he walked into the room and took a look around. He too examined the paintings in awe.

"They're spectacular, aren't they?"

"Why are you here?" Jacinta demanded. A massive wave of discomfort and vulnerability washed over her. She was alone in this room with Emerson. There were no cameras, not in here. If anything were to happen, no one would know about it for a while. The thought made her knees start shaking, her determined resolve slipping slightly.

"I could ask the same thing of you." Emerson raised his eyebrows. "You're looking for something."

"Well, yes," Jacinta said impatiently, and the cogs in her mind worked overtime to try and come up with a plausible reason. She hung her head and tried to feign embarrassment. "I…I was looking for some of grandfather's paints. I'm not an artist like him, but I wanted to try. I was hunting down those and maybe a spare canvas."

"Ah." Emerson's lips twisted into an amused smile. "A budding young artist."

Jacinta nodded, hoping that he would leave so she could stash the newly-acquired schematics into her pocket. If he investigated further, he would understand exactly what she was after, and she would be in deep trouble. She turned her gaze towards the paintings in the hope that he would do the same.

"It's just remarkable that he's seen the outside, don't you think?" She heaved what she hoped sounded like a wistful sigh. When Emerson's eyes followed hers, she stuffed the schematics inside her jacket. Raking her free hand through her hair, she headed towards the door. "I should be going though. I shouldn't really be snooping through Grandpa's things."

"Do you ever wonder what she was thinking?" Emerson asked, looking suddenly solemn. "Your mum, I mean. When she just…walked out there."

"Trust me," Jacinta's tone was cold as ice and her lips curled into a sneer. "I have a general idea."

* * *

Jacinta had been quite annoyed that the schematics alone hadn't been enough. Apparently, Mount Weather communications had been blocked, so Monty wanted to get into the President's office and hack into the system. It would have been a lot simpler if he had just accompanied her last time, although that wasn't a situation Jacinta would have known how to explain to Emerson. She paced Maya's room as the pair of them waited for Monty to return from the office.

"This is taking too long," Jacinta murmured. It wasn't that far away, and Monty had been disguised as a cleaner. It really shouldn't be taking so long to hack into the system and unblock communications. How they planned to communicate with the other Sky People was beyond Jacinta – she was by no means a technological genius like Monty.

"Just give it a few more minutes," Maya pleaded.

However, the red-haired girl could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. Perhaps it had been her encounter with Emerson earlier that shook her up – the last thing she wanted was to be in that man's presence, although she felt it was called for more often than not these days. Emerson catching her was one thing, but Monty was entirely another. If he or one of the other members of security caught Monty, there was very little chance he could just bluff his way out of it.

"I'm going to go and find him." Jacinta's firm gaze rested on Maya. "Stay here, okay? Let me know if anything happens while I'm gone."

Maya chewed at her lip nervously and nodded, and then Jacinta swept from the room. Her palms were clammy and her heart rate was definitely accelerated. As she headed up to the office, she made a list of excuses in her head. She would claim she had come to return something, some paints she had borrowed earlier. It was a poor excuse at best, especially if a security official asked to see them, but she hoped pulling the high and mighty 'I'm the President's granddaughter' thing would work in her favour.

When she rounded the corner, she froze in her tracks. Monty was unconscious on the floor, his suit peeled back slightly to reveal his face. Two security officials were hauling him up as Emerson watched with a thoughtful frown on his features. Jacinta clamped both hands over her mouth. Monty had been caught, and she didn't know how much of the plan Emerson was now aware of. They were so _fucked_.

Emerson turned to face her, and Jacinta quickly schooled her features into a neutral expression, dropping her hands by her sides. She walked over with a calm raise of her eyebrows at Monty, before looking at Emerson. There was definitely suspicion in his eyes, but she tried to play it cool.

"What is going on here?"

"I think maybe you might have a better idea than me." Emerson folded his arms across his chest, indicating Monty with his head. "We found him, having been rummaging around the President's office. Now, how did he get in there, I wonder?"

"Are you accusing me of helping him?" Jacinta demanded, trying to sound as outraged as possible. She knew she couldn't possibly pull off the pretense for much longer, but she had one last card to play should it fail. A very low card, a very painful card…for both her and Emerson.

"I'm just trying to get the facts right, Jacinta." Emerson forced a smile. "I'm sure you had nothing to do with this. So once we investigate the matter, your name will be completely clear. Obviously, it's just a coincidence that you happened to be in the President's office earlier."

Jacinta swallowed the hard lump in her throat and stepped forward. Usually she could not stand being in Emerson's general proximity, and while today was no exception, what she was about to say would go best unheard by the other security officials. She leaned so close that only Emerson would hear her next words.

"Just like I'm sure your name would be cleared if we investigated the matter of my mother's death. Obviously, it's just a coincidence that you and her were arguing in our family rooms that same morning."

Jacinta drew back, viciously satisfied that Emerson's eyes had widened. He took a step away from her, looking as though he had seen a ghost. It was the most shaken she had ever seen him. In that moment, he knew that _she_ knew. Examining her with a mixture of horror and trepidation, he shook his head slowly.

"How much do you know?"

"Everything." Jacinta spat the word out like it was poisonous. "I know exactly why my mum walked out into the open. It was a suicide, but what drove her to it? Sure, our mountain's dirty little secret had an impact, but there was something else, wasn't there? Something only you and I know about."

"Cage doesn't know?" Emerson asked, as though he was almost sure but seeking confirmation.

"No, he doesn't." Jacinta knew she shouldn't be, but she was revelling in just how uncomfortable Emerson felt about this. She should have done this years ago, but she had always been afraid of what opening up about the truth might do – to her, to her family. "Yet."

* * *

"I think we should stop the blood transfusions." Jacinta looked up from her dinner, across the table at her dad. She hadn't touched the meal, because she just wasn't hungry. There was too much on her mind, and the truth of her mum's death on the tip of her tongue. Yet somehow, she couldn't pluck up the courage to tell Cage. Why? What did she think was going to happen if he knew the truth?

"Jacinta." Cage sighed, setting his knife and fork down with a clatter. It was no surprise that he was annoyed at the topic of conversation. It was no secret to Jacinta that Dante had also been talking to him about the issue. Now his own daughter suggested that they go a step further. "Don't you understand? Without the transfusions, we'd die."

"I get that," Jacinta raked a hand through her hair.

"Besides, we've almost perfected it." Cage offered her a huge grin, and Jacinta's stomach lurched as if she had missed a step on the way down. "The delinquents have proven to be the answer to everything. With their bone marrow, we…"

"Their _bone marrow_?" Jacinta had never excelled in Human Biology during her classes, but she understood enough to know that extracting bone marrow would be extremely difficult and painful. Not to mention there was not enough, not enough by far. What was Cage proposing they condemn the delinquents to? "Dad, that would kill them."

"But we would live." Dante reached across the table for his daughter's hand, but Jacinta jerked away as if his fingers were spiders crawling towards her. "Jacey, don't be like that."

"Mum died for this." Jacinta's voice was cold, her chair scraping back loudly as she pushed herself to her feet. "Yet you still keep pushing it. She wouldn't have wanted this any more than I do, and you know it."

Cage flinched at the mention of Nessa. Whatever he was, it was clear to Jacinta that he had loved her mother very much. She was tired of using soft words and acting like things were okay. It had reached the point where it just irritated her, people stepping around the truth as though it was quicksand and would suck them down. Now that she knew what was going on, about the bone marrow, Jacinta was sure her actions were right. She might be going down a different path to her dad, but morally, it was the path she had to follow.

"Don't use her against me."

"Why?" Jacinta whirled around to face him, blue eyes glittering with anger. "Because you can't take the thought of knowing she walked outside, wanting to die out there rather than survive down here?"

"Enough, Jacinta!" Cage slammed his palm down on the table, making the plates and cutlery shake. His eyes were wide with rage, but Jacinta wasn't done. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she thought of her sweet mother, who'd sung her lullabies to soothe her to sleep. Nessa had sacrificed more than most, more than Cage understood.

"No, it's not," Jacinta whispered, before she screwed her eyes shut. It was time for Cage to know the whole truth. It was time for him to know why Nessa died. "Because you're blind, Dad. There is so much that you don't see. How could you fail to notice what he'd done to her?"

Cage looked more apprehensive than angry now. "What are you talking about?"

"He raped her!" Jacinta exclaimed, and it was like ripping off a Band-Aid. It felt so good but so horrible at the same time. "Carl Emerson _raped_ Mum. They were arguing about it, on the morning of the day she died. I don't know why, I don't know what happened because I was so small…but I remember that ugly word, Dad. I remember the crying and the yelling."

"No." Cage looked sickened, horrified. "You must have heard wrong. Jacey, you were only little…"

" _I remember_!" Jacinta shouted, pausing to wipe at the tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "Ask him. Ask him why he did it, because I don't know. But between that, and what was going on here…even I wasn't enough to keep her around. Not even her daughter."

The realisation of everything she had just said hit her like a brick to the stomach. Jacinta took a few slow steps backwards. Cage's heartbroken expression was what she hadn't wanted to achieve with her revelation. Smearing the tears away from her face with her sleeve, Jacinta hurried out into the corridor. She didn't know where she wanted to go, but the only answer was _away_. Revealing the truth was meant to bring some closure to their family, not shatter them into a thousand pieces.

Stumbling down the empty corridor where their people came up from the mines, Jacinta leaned against the wall and beat her fists against it. She had been three years old, dammit. All she had wanted, all of these years, was her mother. Telling Cage what had happened wouldn't bring her back. It was quite possible she had just made things worse instead of better. A howl broke free from between her lips, closely followed by a choked sob. Their family was slowly falling apart, and since turning eighteen, Jacinta had only added more fuel to the fire.

A loud beep and the sound of a siren made Jacinta spin around. The thick metal doors were sliding shut, which could only mean one thing – people were coming up from the mines. They would be in hazmat suits to protect themselves from radiation, but Jacinta was not. Cold fear gripped her, a fear like she had never known, and she shoved herself away from the wall and sprinted towards the rapidly closing doors.

Already Jacinta felt the heat on her skin, the itching and burning sensation. She pushed herself harder, despite feeling like her lungs were on fire. But already she was too slow, too late. The doors shut with a clang of finality, and Jacinta desperately beat her fists against the hard metal. Someone had to hear her, someone had to do something.

The heat on her skin intensified, becoming a ripping, tearing pain. Jacinta screamed, the harsh sound rebounding off the walls. But there was no one who would hear her, and no one who would save her. Her entire world blurred even as she heard distant footsteps. She fell to her knees, bowing down to the force of the agony that consumed her. Sobbing and clawing at the door with now bloodied hands, Jacinta chose to succumb rather than fight it. Everything went dark as she collapsed.


	5. Bone Marrow

**Chapter Five: Bone Marrow**

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I'm updating only a few hours out from the Season 3 premiere. But I couldn't resists. In this chapter, Jacinta meets Bellamy (!), and the lines are really drawn. Please let me know what you think! I know we're all really excited for what the new season will bring :)**

* * *

The monotonous beeping was a familiar sound to Jacinta by now, but not when she was the one lying in an infirmary bed. She was catapulted into consciousness, a ragged gasp escaping her as she pushed herself into a sitting position. The slow beeping suddenly went haywire, and she heard hurried footsteps headed her way. Jacinta looked down at her shaking hands, at the skin on her arms that she was sure had peeled from her bones. But she was whole. She was intact. There were no marks to indicate that she had ever experienced radiation poisoning.

"Jacey, hey, you need to calm down." Cage was beside her bed, kneeling beside her and forcing her to lie back. She was gulping in lungfuls of air like she had forgotten how to breathe. She had seen how well Maya had healed from her own radiation burns, yet after the excruciating pain she'd experienced, Jacinta had anticipated some kind of marks to attest to what she'd been through.

"Deep breaths, Miss Wallace." Dr Tsing crossed over to her, offering her a fleeting smile that resonated in the triumphant sparkle of her dark eyes. Something good had happened, which to Jacinta translated to something bad for the Delinquents. "It's understandable that you're very shocked right now. Your burns were even worse than Maya's by the time you were found."

"How did I survive?" Jacinta rasped, her voice hoarse from lack of use. She accepted the glass of water that her dad offered her, taking a few sips without complaint. Her attention, however, was focused solely on Dr Tsing.

"Despite the success with the blood of the Sky People, we needed something…more." Dr Tsing clasped her hands together. "The blood is only a temporary solution, but your dad and I found something extraordinary. Injecting our people with the _bone marrow_ of the Sky People gives them immunity from radiation, permanently."

Jacinta felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She hadn't even been thinking when she'd run away from her dad, from what she'd told him. But her foolish flight had cost a Delinquent more dearly than it had cost her. She chewed at her lip and felt the guilt eating away at her inside. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid, yet she had become immune without her consent. She didn't blame her dad – he had just been trying to save her life, not realising how much the cost would horrify her.

"Permanently?" Jacinta echoed, her voice very small.

Cage nodded fervently, but there was a solemnity in his eyes. Perhaps the truth of what Jacinta had told him had sunk in. She wondered if he had spoken to Emerson, but she doubted it. What with everything going on right now, the last thing Cage needed was another enemy.

"Yeah. I've had the treatment too. Jacinta, we can go outside. Isn't that amazing?"

Amazing. It wasn't the word she would use to describe it. Outside, where her mother had died – where her mother had willingly gone to die, after what Carl Emerson had done to her. Jacinta resented him so much for depriving her of a mother. She did not understand why he had done it, and it was a matter she would rather remain dead and buried. She didn't want to investigate her mother's rape.

"Sure," Jacinta murmured, picking at the blankets. Everything was going to be different now, somehow she just knew it. She just hadn't decided yet if that difference was going to be for better or worse.

* * *

Jacinta was discharged from the infirmary only two hours later, and she immediately sought out Maya. Her heart was beating a frantic tempo in her chest, and she knew that she needed to share this new information with her friend. The treatment wouldn't have kicked in yet, according to Dr Tsing, as it took a few hours for it to absorb fully into her system.

However, when she did come across Maya, her friend was looking extremely desperate, her eyes wide as she hurried over to Jacinta and flung her arms around her neck. Jacinta hesitantly patted her back, before Maya drew back.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?"

Jacinta paused. Despite Maya being the person she was the closest too at this current point in time, she wasn't ready to share her revelation to her dad, and her subsequent flight. She trusted Maya, but the time for truth would come later. Instead she licked her dry lips and shrugged.

"It's a long story. What's wrong, Maya?"

"It's Monty." Maya was close to tears, rubbing her arms. "I've looked everywhere, but…I can't find him."

Jacinta sighed heavily. Perhaps she was going to have to tell the truth sooner than she'd thought. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she took Maya's shaking hands in her own, trying to keep her voice level.

"I saw Emerson get him, he was caught coming out of my granddad's office. Maya, listen. There's something I need to tell you. They've started doing more than just taking blood from them. It's bone marrow now."

"What?" Maya drew her hands back, eyes round with horror. "How do you know that? Did you find something?"

"No." Jacinta sucked in a deep breath. "Because they did it to me. They put bone marrow in me."

"When were you exposed to radiation?" Maya's voice was little more than a whisper, eyes searching Jacinta for an answer. The auburn-haired girl realised that the time was now. She had very few people she could trust, and Maya was one of them. But she needed to be completely honest with her friend, or else that trust wouldn't be reciprocated.

"Dad and I got into a fight, and I stormed out and then…it happened." Jacinta knew that it was a lame, abbreviated version of the truth, but right now she was far more concerned about the Delinquents. "Look, we need to find Monty. Do you think he's in the Harvest Chamber?"

"We could check," Maya said. They were not allowed access to the chamber without express permission or a clearance, but that wasn't about to stop either of them.

"I'll wait outside and stand guard in case anything happens," Jacinta rested a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. She didn't want Maya to panic over this, and she knew the older girl could sometimes get anxious in stressful situations. "Maya. We're going to find him."

* * *

Jacinta was restless as she stood outside the Harvest Chamber, her palms sweaty and her hands shaking. She had to keep wiping them on her pants. She had accepted the seriousness of what she and Maya were doing, and so she had stolen something she had never felt an inclination to take – one of her dad's guns. Lethal force was not something used often at all within Mount Weather, and weapons were generally a visible threat. Yet Jacinta was fully prepared to shoot if someone happened upon Maya…or was she? The more she thought it, the less certain she became.

The door to the Harvest Chamber, and Jacinta spun around to see Maya exit – only, she wasn't alone. There was a man with her, but although he was in the uniform of the Mount Weather, Jacinta knew he wasn't one. She knew all the members of the guard, and she didn't know this man…or boy, perhaps. He was in his early twenties, with handsome features, dark hair and dark eyes. He examined her warily, but Maya stepped between them.

"Jacinta, this is Bellamy Blake. He's one of the Sky People." She turned to the restless young man. "It's okay, Bellamy. You can trust Jacinta, she's in on this too. She's the President's granddaughter, so she's a lot of help with…"

Maya didn't even finish her sentence. The young man, Bellamy, grabbed Jacinta by the arms and yanked her towards him. She scowled up at him, and she saw the desperation in his eyes and understood. He thought that he could use her against her family to free his people, but Jacinta refused to be a pawn. A click below his chin made him stiffen, and Jacinta's blue eyes blazed as realisation dawned upon him. Her gun rested just below his chin, the safety just having been taken off it.

"I don't think so," Jacinta said coolly. He released her, holding up his arms, and she stepped back, gun still pointed at him. She didn't trust this young man. She wanted to help the Sky People, but she was not doing it as their captive. "I'm helping you and your friends out, but if you think you're using me as a hostage against my granddad, you've got another thing coming."

"Sorry." Bellamy looked a bit stunned at his own behaviour. Jacinta slowly lowered the gun, flicking the safety back on. She didn't quite know what to make of him, and so she remained suspicious. He was dressed as a guard, so clearly he'd killed someone, although he'd likely had Maya's help. Her eyes flicked to her friend, who mouthed 'later'.

* * *

Cage strode in whistling cheerfully as Jacinta helped herself to some biscuits. He examined his daughter with mild concern, and she knew that he was making sure she was alright after the bone marrow transfusion. She leapt off the bench and landed nimbly on her feet, folding her arms across her chest. Jacinta knew that she had to be extra careful with her behaviour. Although she had liberties as Dante's granddaughter, it also meant any strangeness would be closely monitored.

"I've got some news," Cage announced, walking across to his daughter. She wondered if it had something to do with Emerson and perked up. They hadn't discussed her mum or Emerson since the radiation incident, and Jacinta knew it wasn't a nice topic. But eventually, Cage had to stop ignoring it.

"Yeah?" Jacinta finished her biscuit, wiping her hands on her pants.

"I've taken over as President."

Whatever she had expected to hear, it hadn't been that. Immediately her breaths came short and sharp, fearing that something had happened to Dante. Cage caught her by the shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"It's okay, nothing has happened to your granddad, I promise. He's just been held in containment until we can…"

" _What_?" Jacinta asked, her voice sharp but little more than a whisper. Her dad had her granddad arrested? What could Dante have done to merit such treatment? She licked her dry lips, eyes searching Cage's, waiting for an explanation. Because there had to be one. There _had to be_.

"He was trying to send the kids home." Cage sighed and drew away from her. "We can't have him as a leader when he's not representing what we want. What we need. We are going to see the sun, Jacey. Under my leadership, I'll make sure it happens."

"What have you done?" Jacinta asked, her voice ragged and so unrecognisable that it almost didn't sound like hers. " _What have you done_?"

"What has to be done!" Cage snapped, causing Jacinta to fall silent. She took a step away from him, shaking her head slowly. It made sense that Dante wanted to save the Delinquents from the horrible fate of being drilled dry for bone marrow. But it seemed as though blood on his hands, tainting him irreparably, didn't bother Cage. His eyes were gleaming, determined.

"Does this mean I'm head of security?" Jacinta murmured, although she had the feeling that she already knew what the answer was.

"No." Cage turned his back on her, as though he couldn't bear to look at her. "I didn't think that this would happen so soon. You're an adult, but you're still only eighteen. You don't know enough about it."

"So who is head of security?" Jacinta inquired, her voice dangerously soft. Being the President and the head of security would be too much on Cage's plate. Nausea rose in her stomach, and she wanted to be proven wrong. Cage adjusted one of Dante's paintings on the wall, and Jacinta just wanted to scream. _LOOK AT ME!_

"Carl Emerson."

Jacinta's legs gave way beneath her, shaking violently. She fell to her knees on the floor, staring up at her dad in horror. She had told him the truth, about what Emerson had done to his wife, to her mother. Yet it seemed that Cage was choosing to ignore that. Did he think that she was lying? Was that it? Laughter filled the room, hollow and mocking. It took Jacinta a moment to realise it was hers.

"You must never have loved her at all."

"You have no right to say that to me!" Cage whirled around, furious dark eyes fixing upon his daughter. "No right. I loved your mother, but you don't understand the situation. We need a man of Carl's experience leading the time. What he did was horrific, and I plan to speak to him about it when all of this is done…"

" _You are a coward_!" Jacinta screamed. The words came from a deep, dark place inside her: the hatred she felt for Carl Emerson, and the disgust she was now feeling for her dad because of his actions. He had imprisoned Dante. He was taking bone marrow from innocent kids. He was doing nothing to avenge Nessa's death, the death she had chosen because of Emerson.

Cage blanched, and for the first time, he had no retort to offer. Her slender frame wracked with sobs, Jacinta pushed herself to her feet. It was clear now whose side she was on, and it wasn't his. She was usually quiet. She never spoke to him like this. But it became clear now that both of them had changed. Jacinta was starting to think that perhaps neither of them were changing into better people.


	6. Treacherous

**Chapter Six: Treacherous**

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter! :D I hope everyone is enjoying Season 3 so far - I already have big plans for Jacinta, and I can't wait to get to that point. We're getting further into the action, and there's going to be a lot more Bellinta to come in this chapter and future chapters. Please let me know what you think!**

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jacinta?" Maya's eyes were wide as saucers, which only served to frustrate the auburn-haired girl. She had been more than happy to help so far, but now things were getting serious. With Dante imprisoned and Cage as President, she knew that she would have to be careful – but she was more determined than ever. If anyone could bring Cage Wallace to his knees, it was his own daughter.

"Of course I am." Jacinta's mistrustful eyes darted across to Bellamy. He was an attractive young man, although she liked to pretend she didn't notice it. She didn't trust him, though. He was an outsider, and she feared that he would betray them once his people were safe. Unfortunately, he was in on this little revolution, for now.

Jacinta knew that her help would greatly benefit them. As the daughter of the current President, she would be able to access areas other people wouldn't be allowed to go. Of course, there could be no doubting that Cage would be suspicious. She anticipated that. Yet he would want her on his side, want to give her reason to come over to his way of thinking. If he barred her from everything, he ran the risk of pushing her further away, and he wouldn't want that.

"Have you found them yet?" Maya asked, glancing at Bellamy. He shook his head, regarding Jacinta with about as much trust as she had in him.

"No. Not yet."

"Relax, I'm not going to dob you in, or I would have already done it," Jacinta said coolly. She examined the radio in Bellamy's hand, and realised he must be in contact with the rest of his people outside. Outside the mountain…it was a whole world that she had only ever dreamed of, and now thanks to another's sacrifice, a world that she could emerge to if she so chose. It should have made her feel invigorated, but it only made her feel sick.

"What are you going to do now?" Maya asked, clasping her hands together in concern.

"You need to focus on remaining unsuspicious." Jacinta turned to look at her friend pointedly. If anything happened to Maya…she wasn't sure how she would feel. If her best friend was arrested for treason, not even Jacinta could bail her out. "I can help Bellamy, but I don't want you getting caught."

Maya glanced between them. So far she had served as the mediator, keeping the peace between the other two. There was tension between Jacinta and Bellamy, and she had strived valiantly to work past it. But Jacinta needed to earn Bellamy's trust on her own, not just because Maya kept saying she was trustworthy. The dark-haired girl heaved a sigh.

"Alright. But be careful. Both of you."

As she wandered off, Jacinta turned to look at Bellamy. She wondered what his plan was, if he even had one. Taking a deep breath, she tried to convince herself that she felt like she was in control. It was a lie, because she didn't.

"So. Where are you going to look?"

"I just wanted to say again that I'm sorry about when I first met you." Bellamy toyed with the radio. "I…I didn't mean to startle you. Look, I don't want to make enemies, okay? I just want to find my friends."

Jacinta couldn't help a tight smile. "I know. That's why I'm trying to help you."

"I thought I might try the air vents." Bellamy's eyes flicked upwards, and Jacinta's breath caught in her throat. It was very brave of him, or else very stupid. She personally thought she would be claustrophobic crawling through there. If he wanted her to volunteer to help him, it wasn't going to happen.

Now that she didn't dislike him as much, she began to really notice him. Tan skin, dark hair and eyes. Close to six foot, and maybe twenty-two or twenty-three. He was even more attractive than Taran. She brushed away the thoughts like cobwebs. She wasn't meant to be thinking that Bellamy was hot. Sometimes, when her guard slipped, she was just the teenage girl that she couldn't allow herself to be.

"Okay." She nodded slowly. When he went to walk away, she caught his arm. She didn't know why she'd become so invested in the Sky People, but she didn't want anyone else to suffer just so that they could live. She was adamant in helping Bellamy, because Bellamy was the answer. Bellamy could save them. She just had to make sure he wasn't caught. "Just…don't let your guard down."

Bellamy raised his eyebrows as he looked down at Jacinta's fingers curled in his sleeve. She cleared her throat and stepped away, fully aware that she'd probably gone incredibly red. Damn, now he was probably going to think she had some crush on him when that definitely wasn't the case.

"Don't worry about me."

* * *

When Carl Emerson had stumbled back up to the mountain, gasping for breath and collapsing at his feet, Cage had seriously considered letting him die. Jacinta seemed to think that he didn't care what this man had done to Nessa – which was so far from the truth. Cage cared, but unfortunately, Emerson was useful. The moment all of this was over, he would be dealt with accordingly. Until then, Cage needed his help in restoring order. It also meant that Emerson would probably have to get bone marrow treatment as well. That would hurt. The thought made Cage smile a little.

"I know what you did to my wife." The words were spoken casually as the two men entered Mount Weather and the doors sealed shut behind them, but there was an undercurrent of fury that Cage knew Emerson would pick up on. The other man's eyes widened. "Why did you do it? Why did you hurt Nessa?"

"It…it was an accident," Emerson stammered, not even attempting to deny it. Good. Cage would probably have lost it if the new head of security had tried to bluff his way out of the situation. There was guilt on his face though, real guilt. It was echoed in his eyes, which were filled with remorse. "Cage, I'm so sorry. I never meant for it to happen…"

"How do you accidentally rape someone?" Cage demanded, his voice hard. He didn't think he wanted to know, but the _why_ was very important. Nessa had been a sweet, gentle creature, with occasional outbursts of passion. Why anyone would want to hurt her was beyond him.

"I had a thing for her, when we were younger." Emerson's words were spilling out easily now, probably out of fear. He had been slightly younger than Cage, the same age as Nessa. Him having had feelings for Nessa was something Cage had overlooked. "I never acted on because she was with you. But then it was New Year, and I was drunk and…it was a mistake, Cage. I pushed my boundaries and I went too far. I knew that straight away."

"You still did it." Cage couldn't help but feel that Emerson's excuses were pathetic. A drunk, jealous, lovesick moron who had turned his affection for Nessa into a weapon to use against her. He allowed the silence to stretch, long enough for Emerson to feel uncomfortable. "I'm not going to kill you. You're more use to me alive. But just know that I can't and I won't forgive you for what you did to my wife."

"I didn't expect you to." Emerson collapsed to his knees, probably overwhelmed with gratitude. Cage folded his arms and watched, and allowed him to grovel. "Thank you, President."

* * *

It was easier for Maya and Jacinta to talk in Maya's rooms. Her dad, Vincent, was a good guy and he was secretly for them helping out the Sky People. Jacinta sat on the couch and stared blankly at the wall, until her best friend waved a hand in front of her face. She turned to glance at Maya, who was looking concerned.

"I'm worried about you, Jacey."

"Don't be. I'm fine." The words were brusque and Jacinta knew that she hadn't convinced Maya at all. Maya, who had known her since childhood. Then she heaved a sigh and allowed her shoulders to slump. Trying to be strong wasn't going too well for her so far. "It's…it's complicated."

"Try." Maya rubbed her arm, and Jacinta knew that it was okay to open up. It was okay to trust Maya, who had never betrayed her, who had never done something so immoral that she was forced to turn her back.

"I just…I don't know who he is anymore." Jacinta's voice was thick with unshed tears, and she realised with a shock that she was dangerously close to crying. She sniffed stubbornly, realising to let those tears fall. "My dad, I mean. I thought I could trust him. I thought he would want to do what's right…but he's locked Grandpa up, and he trusts _Emerson_ as head of security over me…"

"Jacinta," Maya murmured, "Why do you hate Carl Emerson so much?"

The redhead stiffened slightly. It was a question that Maya had probably been wondering on for years now. The dark-haired girl had never questioned her unrelenting hatred towards the man, but she felt now was the time to explain. She owed Maya the truth, after all that they'd been through together.

"Emerson raped my mum," Jacinta whispered, so quietly that she wasn't sure at first if Maya had heard her. Her friend stroked back her hair with such tenderness that Jacinta couldn't help it – her strong barriers broke down and then she was sobbing into Maya's shoulder, clutching at her friend tightly. She felt so very alone, unable to trust anyone but Maya. When had she become so dependent, so devoid of allies?

The door opened and Jacinta looked up, expecting Vincent. Instead Bellamy stood there, freezing at the sight of them. Jacinta wiped her eyes on her sleeves, sniffling. She was embarrassed that he had seen her like this, at her weakest and most vulnerable. It wasn't a side she liked to show to a young man she wasn't sure if she trusted, but wanted to. She licked her lips and pushed herself to her feet.

"I need your help." Bellamy's dark gaze was focused on Jacinta, and a small shiver ran up her spine at the intensity of it. "I need to talk to your grandfather."

* * *

Jacinta's heart was hammering in her chest as she and Bellamy strode down the corridor towards the room where Dante was being held. Of course, to anyone else, it just looked as though he was a member of the guard escorting Dante's granddaughter to his room – with a meal on hand in case anyone objected to his entrance. The door bleeped and hissed as Jacinta swiped her card, and she allowed Bellamy to enter the room first with the tray of food.

"Your evening meal, President Wallace." Bellamy stepped forward and a little to the side, so that Dante could see Jacinta standing in the doorway. His eyes widened and he crossed over to the record player. Bellamy reached for his gun with his free hand, but Jacinta's fingers brushed against his as she moved to stand beside him. He glanced at her, and she shook her head very slightly as Dante turned up the volume of the record.

"Jacinta, why are you here?" he asked as Bellamy busied himself setting the meal down on the table. His eyes darted across to Bellamy. "Who is he? He's not one of us."

"His name is Bellamy," Jacinta said, taking care to sound calmer than she felt. This would be the deciding moment, when Dante decided whether his allegiance would lie with her, or with Cage. She wasn't sure yet that she wanted to know the answer. "He's here to help the Sky People, he's one of them. Grandpa, they're dying."

"Need I remind you that I'm a prisoner?" Dante sighed heavily, but his eyes softened. Bellamy glanced over his shoulder, looking slightly hopeful. It was obvious to Jacinta that he thought bringing her along would make Dante's resolve waver.

"You know this place better than any of us." Jacinta bit down on her lip. "Surely there's some way that we can rescue them? They're the same age as me, or younger. They're just kids, they don't deserve what Dad is putting them through. You know that, you fought against what he was doing."

"I can't help them escape," Dante admitted, but a slight smile graced his lips as he drew his granddaughter into a hug. While the cameras interpreted it as a gesture of fondness for Jacinta, he muttered: "But I may be able to buy them some time. _You_ may be able to."

"How?" Jacinta asked as she drew back.

"You remember your lessons from Computer Sciences and Technology, don't you?" Dante inquired, smiling as Jacinta nodded vehemently. She could feel Bellamy's gaze on both of them. "When they go for another one of the kids, you will need to irradiate the level. Temporarily. It should give them enough time."

Jacinta thought on it. She knew where the controls were kept. She remembered playing hide and seek there as a kid, before she had been lectured about why it was dangerous, and what she could have done. Now she was going to do it, but this time deliberately. Swallowing hard, she nodded again. She understood exactly what she was going to do. She was going to become a murderer…but she had to, didn't she?

Once Bellamy had collected the dirty plates from Dante's lunch, he and Jacinta exited the room. He offered her a quizzical look as the door hissed shut behind them. She smiled tightly, knowing that she wasn't going to relish what she had to do – but she couldn't just stand by and do nothing. She had to take action, and if that meant getting her hands dirty, so be it.

"So you know what to do?" Bellamy inquired.

"Yes." The word came out hoarser than Jacinta had intended, and he seemed to sense that she was becoming emotional because he spun her to face him, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey. I know this is tough for you. I know these are your people."

"No." Jacinta wrenched away from him. She had already shown vulnerability once today in front of Bellamy, and she wasn't about to do it again. He may very well use her sentimentality against her. "You have no idea."


	7. Mass Destruction

**Chapter Seven: Mass Destruction**

* * *

 **A/N: Wow I'm seriously amazed at how the interest in this little story has grown! We're heading towards the end of Season 2 - don't you worry, there's going to be a lot of Bellinta development over the next few chapters ;) As always, please don't hesitate to leave a review with your opinion!**

* * *

Jacinta was fully prepared to carry out her grandfather's plan before she heard word of what had happened in the control room. Word travelled fast in a small community like Mount Weather, and when Jacinta heard the whispers, she knew that she had to confront her dad. She barged into the control room and although several of the guards looked to Cage with shock on their faces, none of them attempted to restrain her.

"Is it true?" Jacinta demanded. Her hands were balled into ready fists as she examined him. It seemed to her that her dad was capable of more horrific things than she had given him credit for.

Cage raised his eyebrows. "You're going to have to be more specific. Is what true?"

"Did you bomb Tondc?" Jacinta asked, taking care to keep her tone level. She failed. Her voice was shaking with anger, and it was obvious even to her. But it would keep Cage's attention. That was part of the new plan that she and Bellamy had devised. Jacinta had written him instructions, and she had gone to speak to her dad – a distraction. Cage would be too focused on his irate teenage daughter to realise what was happening right under his nose. Or at least, that was what they hoped for.

"It had to be done," Cage insisted, striding towards his daughter and gripping her by the shoulders. "Jacey, I'd hoped you'd get it by now. Your grandfather doesn't, but there's still time for you. The Grounders and the Sky People were going to ally, attack us…"

" _You murdered innocent people_!" Jacinta tore away from him. The plan had been to confront him, but the rage that she was exhibiting was very real. Her eyes blazed with anger, her body shaking as she forced herself to accept the fact that although he was her dad, he was capable of atrocities. She had seen that the moment she had turned eighteen, and foolishly tried turning a blind eye. Well, Jacinta would prove that she too was a monster, just of a different kind.

"Jacinta…" Cage sounded pained, but by the look on his face, he had already accepted the truth. He had lost her, and he wasn't getting her back. His decisions had driven between them an even greater wedge than the tragedy of what had befallen Nessa.

Jacinta responded not with words, but with uncharacteristic violence. She flung her arm forward, the palm of her hand connecting hard with Cage's cheek. His head jerked to the side and he touched his face. Jacinta swallowed hard as they both struggled to come to terms with the fact that she had just slapped him.

"Take her to her room." Cage's voice was hard as he gestured to Jacinta. Before anyone could move, the alarms started blaring, signalling a containment breach. Cage's dark eyes narrowed, and try as she might, Jacinta couldn't help the vicious smile that spread across her lips. It might hurt her to know that this breach could cost lives of her friends and acquaintances…but they needed to get the Sky People out. They had to.

"What have you done?" Cage demanded of her.

"Nothing." Jacinta tilted her chin up. "I've been right here the whole time. How could I be responsible for this?"

"Dante," Cage snapped, gesturing towards the guards. They snapped into action immediately. "It's on Level 5. Hurry!"

Jacinta wondered momentarily that if, during the chaos, her dad had completely forgotten about her. She didn't have to wonder for very long. Emerson strode over to her, catching her by the arm. She struggled, but his fingers were like steel bars around her bicep. Cage clenched his jaw as he watched her.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Jacinta. Emerson, lock her up in her room."

* * *

The cogs in Jacinta's mind were turning faster than ever as Emerson led her back towards her room. Once she was in there, she knew that there would be no chance at getting out. She hadn't really thought this far ahead, and she chastised herself. Some mastermind she was, getting herself caught out just as Bellamy would be getting the kids out. Fortunately, the radiation in Level 5 wouldn't be a problem for her. She just needed to figure out how to reunite with them first.

"Do you ever wonder why my mum wasn't into you?" Jacinta blurted out suddenly. Emerson barely paused, but a frown crossed his lips and his grip tightened slightly on her arm, so she knew that the topic was a sore spot.

"Shut up and keep walking."

"Oh, right, you aren't trying to suck up to me now." Jacinta normally didn't even speak this way to Emerson, but it seemed like she had gotten a lot more outspoken and defiant since everything had been thrown into motion. "Is it because my dad knows what you did, or because you're head of security, which was meant to be my job when Dad became President? Congrats, by the way."

Frustratingly, Emerson refused to rise to the bait. Jacinta didn't really know what her plan was, but she hoped that if she could distract him from taking her to her room, she would figure out some miraculous escape. It was too much to hope for, but it was better than just condemning herself to imprisonment.

"Anyway, as I was saying. Big mystery as to why Mum wasn't into you. I mean, why not use force if the object of your affection doesn't return your feelings?" Jacinta could see how Emerson had tensed, and knew she was playing her cards right now. "Did it make you feel good, Emerson? Did it make you feel like a man?"

Emerson released her arm, but before Jacinta had the chance to run, he had spun her, grabbing her by the shoulders and slamming her against the wall. The impact made her grimace, and talking about her mum in such a way made her feel sick. But she needed to. Jacinta needed Emerson to be angry enough to lose control, and she was damn near close to getting there.

"I said shut up, Jacinta," Emerson snapped, shaking her hard.

"You know she never would have touched you of her free will," Jacinta hissed at him, "Because like me, she thought you were a pathetic…"

Emerson's grip shifted to her neck, his eyes flashing with anger. Jacinta simply smiled smugly up at him despite his fingers around her throat. His hand tightened until she winced and coughed. There was something savage about him then, and she could see with a cold thrill of fear, the man who had hurt her mother.

"If you weren't Cage's daughter, I'd love to throw you to the Grounder and Sky People and see if they'd protect you and shelter you. Unfortunately, that won't happen. So I mean it, Jacinta. Shut up about Nessa."

She tried to say something, but Emerson's fingers were constricting her throat. Once he realised she was trying to talk, he raised his eyebrows and loosened his fingers.

"Yes? Is there something you wanted to say?"

"I've got your gun," Jacinta rasped.

Emerson tensed and looked down to see that she wasn't lying. He hadn't noticed, too caught up in his rage to realise that she had slipped his gun from his belt and now had it pressed against his stomach. His hand went for it, but Jacinta was faster. She pulled the safety off, and Emerson went very still. Both of them had a general idea of how a gun worked, him more so than her.

"Don't make me blow a hole through you. Believe me, I'd do it."

Jacinta hoped she sounded threatening, because she didn't know if she really could shoot someone if she was pushed into doing so. Emerson removed his hand from her throat and took a slow, careful step backwards. She smiled. He wasn't a stupid man, so he knew any sudden moves might make her finger slip on the trigger.

"Good. Stand still." Jacinta pushed herself away from the wall. "It's tempting, you know? To kill you and avenge my mum. But I'm not Cage. I don't kill needlessly. That doesn't mean I won't shoot you if you move."

Jacinta considered for a few moments, before pointing the gun at the roof and firing two warning shots. Emerson flinched, staggering backwards at the loud noise, and she took the opportunity to turn and run. She clutched the gun tightly in her hands. It would probably come in handy in the very near future.

* * *

"Jacinta, you there?"

Her walkie had been quiet for the past few hours, but hearing Maya's voice made her fumble for it with eager hands, grateful to hear that her friend was alive. She had no idea what had happened after the Level 5 radiation breach, but she was keen to find out. She stowed the gun in her belt.

"Maya? Is everything okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine now," Maya sounded a bit shaken. "Your d…President Wallace tried to use me against the others. Don't panic. I'm alright, and we're hiding them now. Bellamy is looking for the acid fog generator though. He could use your help."

Jacinta held back a groan. She was really pissed at her dad for using Maya like that, and concerned for her friend. At the same time though, she wasn't keen on the idea of being Bellamy's partner in crime – although it seemed to be happening a lot lately. Maybe part of it was because she was beginning to like Bellamy more than she should. Once this was over, she would likely never see Bellamy again, so what was the point in having some stupid little schoolgirl crush on him?

"Okay. I'll go find him."

Jacinta turned her walkie off just as alarms starting blaring again, causing her to tilt her head back and sigh. It looked like Bellamy had probably gotten himself into trouble. Using her key card to access the restricted areas of Mount Weather – and thanking her lucky stars that it actually still worked – Jacinta slipped into the shadows and heard the sound of shouting and heavy footsteps. Well, at least she was getting closer to finding Bellamy. She took the gun out of her belt and flicked off the safety.

A guard was running across one of the platforms, right in her direction. Steeling herself, Jacinta pointed the gun at his head. His eyes widened when he saw her, recognised her. The guard held his hands up in surrender.

"Where is he?"

"He went down to the lower levels," the man replied, clearly realising that Jacinta was after Bellamy. "Garza went after him."

"Okay." Jacinta nodded, allowing herself a moment to pause before hitting the guy in the head with the gun, hard. He collapsed to the ground, but she didn't have time to feel guilt. She had to find Bellamy. Gripping the gun tightly in her hand, she descended the stairs, casting around for any sign of him.

"Bellamy?"

"Jacinta!" He moved out of the shadows and she almost jumped out of his skin. His eyes were wild and there was a key card in his hand. Probably Garza's, if his wasn't working. She licked her lips.

"What's the plan?"

"We need to find Vincent," Bellamy raked a hand through his dark hair. "He'll know about the acid fog generator."

Jacinta couldn't help a proud grin even as alarms blared around them. "Why would you need Vincent when you have me?"

"You know how to get to it?" Bellamy's eyes widened. He examined the gun in Jacinta's hand, then his eyes raked over her. She couldn't help but feel a flush building in her cheeks and was grateful that the darkness gave her some cover.

"Kind of," Jacinta admitted, before realising that perhaps Vincent was a more viable option after all. She knew about the acid fog generator and its location, but they would be needing maps. Visiting Dante again wasn't an option – after the Level 5 radiation, Cage would have him sealed in tight. "Look, you're right. Vincent's a better option. He'll have maps and maybe…maybe more weapons."

"Did you shoot anyone?" Bellamy indicated the gun in her hands.

"No," Jacinta admitted quietly, unsure if he would take that as a sign of weakness. She had really wanted to shoot Emerson. Some vicious, violent part of her would have delighted in putting a bullet in his skull. But the truth was, she didn't have the guts for it. If Emerson attacked her, maybe it would be a different story. In cold blood? Definitely not.

* * *

Jacinta watched from the couch as Vincent and Bellamy talked in low voices. Bellamy was going to the acid fog generator alone, so although she could hear everything they were saying, she didn't pitch in. She turned the gun over and over in her hands, just staring down at it. What had she been thinking, stealing it? Did she think she was some kind of revolutionary? She was just a rebellious President's daughter. Bellamy probably just saw her as a spoilt teenage trying to break free of her dad.

Yet deep down, Jacinta knew it was more than just defying Cage. She truly believed in this, that they shouldn't be harvesting the blood and bone marrow of innocents simply so that they could live. Jacinta had still not gotten over her disgust at the knowledge that she was immune to radiation, forever. It had not been her choice, yet she still felt guilt knowing someone had probably died so that she could live.

"Hey." Bellamy crouched down in front of Jacinta, and she raised her eyes from the gun in her hands. "I never thanked you, for helping me out earlier."

She shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Don't mention it."

"No, seriously." Bellamy placed a hand over hers. His palm was comfortingly warm. "You've been invaluable, Jacinta. I don't know what we would do without you. You stood up to your dad. You showed him your morals are different to his. That takes courage."

"I'm not brave," Jacinta murmured.

Bellamy linked his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. "You are. You just haven't realised it yet."


	8. Bearing The Burden

**Chapter Eight: Bearing The Burden**

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter at last! We're almost at the end of Season 2, and all I can say is things are going to be both good and bad for Jacinta. There's a lot more Bellinta in this chapter, and future ones!**

* * *

Bellamy had been gone for a long time, and so it was Jacinta who suggested going and looking for him. She tried to convince herself that it was only because they needed him, and not due to any personal concern she had for his welfare. She failed. Noticing Bellamy dragging himself from a vent and into the corridor, her eyes widened and she ran over to him, looking around to make sure that no one else had noticed. He grimaced as she helped pull him to his feet.

"Oh my god, are you okay? What happened?"

"Disabled the acid fog," Bellamy said with a roguish grin, before he winced again. Jacinta checked him over, before realising that in the middle of the corridor wasn't the best place. People were on the lookout for Bellamy, and for the Delinquents. She had to get him back to Vincent's quarters without being seen. She sighed heavily as her shoulders slumped, her entire body relaxing slightly.

"That's a relief."

"Were you worried?" Bellamy asked, his dark eyes searching her blue ones. Jacinta bit her lip, momentarily hesitant. What was she supposed to say to that? She could deny that had been anxious, pretend she didn't have a personal investment in his success. Or she could admit the truth and risk rejection. Hell, Bellamy was a few years older than her, definitely good-looking, he probably already had a girlfriend…

Bellamy looped his arms around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her. Jacinta didn't know if it was the desperation of a man who had just survived some sort of ordeal, but she didn't question it. Instead she melted into Bellamy's embrace and kissed back. He was a very good kisser. He ran a hand through her auburn hair and pulled her close against him, but she tugged away, suddenly self-conscious and very much aware of their surroundings.

"It's…it's not the best time," she stammered, unable to think of something better to come up with.

"You know, you and Dante aren't really so different from us." Bellamy followed Jacinta as she headed down the corridor towards Vincent's room. "You're willing to help us. The only thing I can't figure out is why."

"Some of us have reasons of our own to hate some of the people here," Jacinta replied enigmatically, deliberately refraining from looking at him. She didn't want to answer any questions, and perhaps Bellamy sensed that because he didn't ask. She resisted the urge to touch her lips where he had kissed her. Maybe he felt for her what she felt for him. A secret smile crossed her face, and she was a little glad that he couldn't see it.

* * *

Bellamy hadn't wanted to stay still for very long. Although he had allowed Jacinta to clean him up a little, he'd then hurried off to free the Grounders. She hadn't gone with him, although she could have. Was it because he'd kissed her and now she was uncertain around him, or because she thought she might have another role to play? Jacinta almost jumped out of her skin when the PA system blared. Her hands balled into fists when she heard her dad's voice.

"My fellow citizens, this is your President speaking. I have news to share with you that will change all of our lives forever."

Jacinta didn't ever think she had hated the sound of Cage's voice more. He was going to go public with what the bone marrow could do, she knew it. It had been a well-kept secret, only available to a select few – including, to Jacinta's shame, herself. But now, he wanted to try and turn them against the Delinquents. She kept listening, even though she didn't want to.

"For 97 years, Mount Weather has been our home. It has kept us alive, but it has also held us captive. Most of us have made peace with what we've had to do to survive. We've done these things for one reason: so that our people can someday return to the ground. That day is today."

"No, no, no," Jacinta murmured under her breath, clasping her hands together tightly, as if Cage could even hear her quiet pleas. He was going to condemn her new friends. She glanced across the room at Vincent, who shifted in his chair. It was odd, to be here without Maya, but her best friend was taking care of business with hiding some of the other Delinquents.

"Before my friend Lorelei Tsing was murdered by the outsiders still at large in this mountain, she found a cure was in their bone marrow. This has been the dream of our people since the bombs. But to reach it now, I need your help."

Jacinta glanced across at Vincent, seeing the concern etched across his features. She knew that he was worried about Maya, and grabbed her jacket. She needed to find her friend. Jacinta might not be highly regarded after the stunts she'd been pulling, but no one was about to fire on the President's daughter. Vincent walked over to her, watching as she tugged the jacket around her.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Maya and Jasper." Jacinta yanked up the zip. "I might be able to help buy them some time if the guards come looking for them."

Vincent regarded her with a mixture of pride and concern. He had known Jacinta since she had been tiny, and she knew that while he might want to protect her and Maya, he also recognised that they were adults. He stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Your mother would be proud of you."

It was the biggest compliment she could have hoped to receive, and for a moment Jacinta paused, humbled beyond belief. Then she offered Vincent what she hoped was a convincingly confident smile, and went to find her best friend.

* * *

It was only when she was on her way to find Maya that Jacinta thought of a different tactic altogether, and changed direction. If she was able to free Dante, then perhaps her grandfather would help with this rebellion. He could shelter the Delinquents, maybe even convince Cage that what he was doing was wrong. Feeling invigorated, Jacinta headed down towards the room where her grandfather was held.

She frowned when she heard voices coming from inside the room. One of them was Dante, and the other was Cage. She wondered what her dad was doing visiting, considering he'd made it very clear he disapproved of Dante helping irradiate Level 5. Shifting close to the door, Jacinta tried to make out their conversation.

"Your only option is to negotiate a deal with them. The Grounders aren't of use to you now that you have the Sky People. If you really do want to save us, then you should strike a deal with their Commander."

Swiping her access card, Jacinta pushed open the door. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Dante was actively encouraging Cage to betray the Sky People, to ally with the Grounders so that the Sky People had nowhere left to turn. Both men spun to see her standing in the doorway. When she'd heard her grandfather's words, Jacinta had been filled with so many angry, indignant things to say. Now that she was in the same room, all that she could manage was a hoarse, broken: "Why?"

"I'm doing this to protect you, to protect all of us." It was Cage who spoke. He stepped towards Jacinta, but she moved back. Her hand itched to grab the gun that was hidden in the waistband of her pants, but she restrained herself. "Why can't you understand that? If it wasn't for the bone marrow, you'd be dead, just like…"

"Like Mum?" Jacinta snapped, viciously satisfied when Cage winced as if her words pained him. "Mum chose that. You can't force people to do what you want just because you think it's right. Emerson tried with Mum. You're trying with the Sky People. Different situations, same result. Kill or be killed, right? It doesn't have to be that way, Dad."

"Which is why we're discussing alternative solutions." Cage glanced at Dante, who wouldn't meet his granddaughter's gaze. The President strode towards the door, gripping his daughter's arm and spinning her to face him. "Someday, you'll thank me for this. I know you're probably too young to see that now. But one day you will."

Cage released her and strode from the room, leaving Jacinta alone with her grandfather. She couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes, feeling weak and stupid. She had trusted Dante, thought that he was on the same side as her. Now she found him giving Cage advice on how to betray the Sky People.

"I…I thought…"

"What he's doing is wrong, you and I both agree on that," Dante said. "But I don't want to see innocent people here dying because of his mistakes. That includes you. He's right in saying we're doing this to protect you."

"I don't need to be protected anymore!" Jacinta exclaimed. She was tired of being treated like she was a helpless child, like she didn't understand. She understood all too well, and she was sick of being told that what she thought and how she felt was wrong. "I'm an adult."

"Being President means making decisions that are best for your people," Dante said gently, and Jacinta swallowed the lump in her throat as tears threatened again. "Even if you don't always agree with them personally. You bear the burden so that others don't have to. You'll learn that one day. I think you'll be a wise and responsible President."

At this rate, Jacinta didn't think she would be President, not if there was nothing left to be President of. The knowledge that the Grounders and the Sky People had marched on Mount Weather, that they were attempting to break through the doors…she didn't know what the Sky People were like, but she knew the Grounders were ruthless.

"Jacinta." Dante's voice was quiet now. "Cage knows about your friend Bellamy freeing the Grounders."

She was suddenly caught up in a feeling of overwhelming, absolute horror. If Cage knew about the Grounders, then what else did he know? She needed to get back to her friends immediately. Jacinta stumbled towards the door without as much as another word to Dante. He could justify himself however he liked, just as Cage did. She was a different person to them, and she was going to save lives. Not just theirs. The Grounders. The Sky People. All of them.

* * *

It was pitch-black as she headed to the Harvest Chamber, and Jacinta knew that something was wrong. She could hear the sound of a girl sobbing, and her stomach twisted. As she pushed open the doors, she realised that the others were already there. Vincent was dead on the ground, lying in a pool of his own blood. He'd been shot in the head. Maya was hunched over her dad, screaming and crying and clutching at Vincent as if her touch could bring him back.

Jacinta felt her heart breaking for her best friend as she looked around the Harvest Chamber. Apart from her small group of allies, it was empty. All of the Grounders were gone. They weren't going to fight for the Sky People. It looked as though the Commander had already accepted Cage's offer. She was too late, too slow, too powerless.

Jacinta fell to her knees beside Maya, holding her best friend close. She found herself completely numb, devoid of emotion as she stroked back Maya's dark hair. She looked up at Bellamy, who still had a gun clutched tightly in his hands _. I'm sorry_ , she mouthed, but he looked away as if he too couldn't bear the sight of the Harvest Chamber. Jacinta could only rub Maya's back as her friend started to hyperventilate, sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Maya, look at me." Jacinta shifted to sit in front of her friend, turning the dark-haired girl's gaze away from her dead father. "Look at me. We are going to make this right, okay? That's what they would have wanted. Your dad. My mum."

Maya sniffed, slowly beginning to calm her breathing. Jacinta grabbed her hands, locking her fingers through Maya's. The contact seemed to help the older girl begin to breathe normally again, and Jacinta was grateful for her calm. She was going to need Maya's help for this. She offered her a weak smile, before pushing herself to her feet.

"What do we do now?" Bellamy asked quietly, examining Vincent's body with sadness in his eyes. He hadn't wanted this either. Perhaps their people wanted a fight, but they just wanted peace. The only problem was that more people were going to have to die to make it happen, unless Cage gave up his agenda.

Jacinta crossed over to him, looking at the gun in his hand, swallowing hard. What was it going to take? Would she have to kill her own father just to make sure that Mount Weather wasn't tainted with the blood of innocents? Bellamy pulled her close, burying his face in her auburn hair. Jacinta rested her chin on his shoulder. He was warm against her, and in another time, maybe this could have been something. Maybe he could have loved her. Maybe she could have loved him.

But love was something they couldn't afford now, not even when Jacinta was so dangerously close to feeling something for someone she shouldn't. She barely even knew this young man, and yet she felt…she didn't know what she felt. But it was strong and it was real, and it frightened her. Not love, not yet.

"We pick up the pieces," she murmured in his ear.


	9. Oxygen

**Chapter Nine: Oxygen**

* * *

 **A/N: So this is where the angst begins! The next few chapters are gonna be difficult for Jacinta...but don't worry, there's plenty more Bellinta to come in future.**

* * *

They were losing, and it scared Jacinta. What was going to happen to her if the Sky People didn't win? Her father would never forgive her for such a betrayal, she was sure of it. But there was one person who still might help them: Dante. It was a risk, but Jacinta knew everything was a risk now. She still didn't know how to help Maya. The other girl was grieving for her loss, and Jacinta felt completely helpless.

A blonde girl who she'd discovered to be Clarke and Bellamy had tried to keep their discussion private, but Jacinta had overheard them in the tunnels nonetheless, despite waiting by the door with a suited-up Maya. The Grounders had betrayed the Sky People. Some of them had probably been captured – and Jacinta knew what her dad would do to captured Sky People. They would be drilled for bone marrow, with more desperation than ever now that things had become so tense.

Jacinta entered her grandfather's cell, auburn hair swinging in a practical ponytail behind her. Bellamy and Clarke followed her, a little wary. If anyone was going to be able to beg Dante for his help, it was her. Monty trailed in after them, and the door clicked closed behind them as Dante got to his feet.

"Jacey. I wasn't sure if you'd come back."

"Grandpa, we need your help." Jacinta licked her dry lips. She knew as well as Dante did that they weren't being watched. With everything going on, there was no way people were going to be in the Command Centre.

"You helped these people?" Dante frowned, looking between the others. He did not appear pleased, and Jacinta realised then that something was amiss. She didn't know the full story of what the Sky People were doing to get in, because they didn't fully trust her. Perhaps she and Bellamy were slowly developing some sense of affection, but Jacinta saw the way Clarke looked at her, she knew that the blonde girl was suspicious of her allegiance.

"He's not going to help us," Clarke stated.

Dante's gaze was on Jacinta as he spoke. "You cut the power, risking the lives of everyone in this mountain, even the ones who helped you."

Jacinta tuned out as Clarke and Dante argued. She felt torn about which side she was on, what was right. Even Dante was condemning her actions, and although she convinced herself that he was the one who was corrupt...what if it was her? What if she had chosen the wrong side?

"Can you get us into the Command Centre?" Clarke's voice drew Jacinta from her reverie, and she glanced over her shoulder to see that she was talking to Monty. "We need to see what's happening on Level Five."

Monty looked troubled, but shrugged. "No problem."

"Let's go." Bellamy glanced at Dante, lips pressed in a determined line. "You're gonna help us, whether you like it or not."

* * *

"What's going to happen to him?" Jacinta asked Clarke quietly as they headed to the Command Centre. She was curious about this girl, the one who'd caused so much trouble for the Mountain People. Clarke was no older than Jacinta, and they both shared a determination to save their people. Yet Jacinta knew better than to think they had anything in common. She was worried about her grandpa, worried what might happen if he refused to help them. Clarke glanced at her, looking slightly surprised that she'd spoken.

"Jacinta, right? You're Dante's granddaughter."

"Yes, that's right." Jacinta's voice was firm, asserting her authority. She might be helping them, but that didn't mean she wished to see bad things befall her family. It didn't mean she was helpless and didn't have a say. She wanted Clarke to know not to underestimate her, that she was just as strong as the Sky People.

"We don't want people to get hurt," Clarke insisted, "We're trying to stop this by spilling as little blood as possible."

"You're telling me that?" Jacinta raised her eyebrows at Clarke. Did this girl not realise just how much she stood to lose by siding with them? Jacinta was gambling everything. If she lost…well, there was no telling what was going to happen, but she doubted she would ever be welcomed here again.

Clarke sighed. "I'm sorry. Of course you know that. But what I'm saying is, your grandpa helped your dad do this, Jacinta."

"So what, you're going to execute them?" Jacinta demanded. A sudden, terrifying realisation came over her: she was not devastated at the thought of her dad's death. For the crimes he had committed, for the fact that he had welcomed Emerson with open arms despite what the man had done to Nessa, Jacinta was past forgiveness. If Cage couldn't accept that they weren't going to be using the Sky People for bone marrow anymore, then he had sealed his own fate.

Dante, though…he was another matter. Jacinta found herself trembling at the thought that something awful might happen to her grandpa. He had only ever tried to do what was best for their people. He hadn't wanted others to get hurt either. Yes, he'd made the alliance with the Grounders. Yes, he'd known about the blood being drawn from Grounders. But he had tried to find a better way.

"I told you there's no one here," Dante announced as they headed into the Command Centre.

"Sorry if we don't take your word for it…" Bellamy muttered.

"Why aren't you with your people on Level Five?" Clarke asked, sounding genuinely confused. Jacinta knew the truth, though: Dante held himself responsible, and that meant he had accepted whatever was to come. Her heart was beating a fast, frantic pace in her chest, hoping that fate wasn't death.

"After what I've done, they can be free." Dante shrugged his shoulders. "I can't. Deliverance comes at a cost. I bear it so they don't have to."

"It wasn't Cage," Bellamy said slowly, realisation dawning across his freckled face. "It was your idea to make the deal with the Grounders."

Jacinta remained silent, staring at her feet. Of course, she'd known all about this, she'd just elected not to share the information. Her quiet didn't go unnoticed by Bellamy, who stepped toward her, gripping her arm. Jacinta's head shot up, and she saw pain in Bellamy's dark eyes. She wanted to plead for forgiveness, to hold on tight to whatever it was that they had. Something that was now so close to slipping through her fingers.

"Tell me you didn't know about this." Bellamy's voice was hoarse, and Jacinta felt tears welling in her eyes.

"I can't," she whispered. She wanted to say a thousand other things, but instead she said nothing. Words couldn't describe how much her heart hurt. She wanted Bellamy to care, she wanted things to be okay, and she wanted her family to be safe. But Jacinta knew that what she wanted didn't matter.

"Why?" Bellamy demanded. Jacinta was aware that things were happening around her – Monty was slowly getting the Command Centre online, Clarke was talking to Dante. But none of those things mattered. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"What was I supposed to say?" Jacinta asked. She met his gaze, wishing she could change things, wishing they stood a chance. "If I had told you about what he'd done, you'd probably have wanted to kill him. He's still my family, don't you see that?"

"So you kept this from us to protect him." Bellamy sounded a mixture of impressed and exasperated. She felt the need to kiss him again, to assure him that she was on their side, but she couldn't. Not now. He reached out and caressed her face, and there was such tenderness there that she almost did cry.

"The Command Centre is live," Monty called, and Bellamy drew away from her, disappointing Jacinta. That disappointment was quickly replaced by horror as she took on what was happening on the screens. A number of Sky People were being held prisoner, and a dark-haired girl was being drilled into for bone marrow. The sight made Jacinta want to look away, but she didn't. This, she reminded herself, was the reason for her defiance. This was her twisted legacy if she didn't stand her ground.

The girl being drilled into was barely older than Jacinta and judging from the exclamations of both Bellamy and Clarke, they recognised a fair few of the prisoners. Jacinta knew she couldn't stand by this. She turned and gave her grandpa a desperate look, but he just clenched his jaw and shook his head. She knew then that she was on her own.

"Tell them to stop." Bellamy glared at Dante. "Now."

The old man shook his head. "I won't do that."

Clarke strode over and took the radio from Bellamy. Jacinta folded her arms over her chest, watching her warily and wondering what the blonde was planning. She got her answer only moments later.

"Carl Emerson, Mount Weather Security Detail, come in." After a few more moments, she spoke again. "You know who it is. Give the radio to the President."

A chill ran down Jacinta's spine as she realised that they meant her dad. She took a step towards Clarke, but Bellamy gave her a warning look. Swallowing the lump in her throat, the red-haired girl looked back at the screens, where her dad was taking the radio from Emerson.

"I have your father." Clarke's voice was cool now. "If you don't let my people go, I'll kill him."

Jacinta's concerned quickly escalated into panic, and she knew she couldn't just stand idly by and let Clarke take control. She strode over to the blonde girl, brushing past Bellamy when he tried to stop her. If there was anyone who could talk sense into Cage, it was her. She held her hand out.

"Give me the radio, Clarke."

"Jacinta?" Cage's voice crackled through the radio. He sounded surprised to hear from her, although she wasn't really sure why that was. She thought she'd made it abundantly clear whose side she was on. Perhaps her dad hoped there was still time for her to change her mind.

"Stay the course, Cage," Dante called, causing Jacinta to shoot an irritated look over her shoulder. She was trying to save her grandpa's live, and he wasn't exactly helping in terms of self-preservation.

"You won't do it." Cage sounded assured, but Jacinta could tell from his tone that he wasn't convinced. There was a slight twinge of doubt there. Jacinta didn't know Clarke, but she had the suspicion that this girl was determined enough that if Dante's death ensured the liberty of her people, she'd kill him.

"Dad, please just put an end to this," Jacinta pleaded. Yet she knew that Cage was too…too what? Stubborn, proud, desperate? He had come too far, sacrificed too much, to let the Sky People go. He would never stop. Jacinta knew that, she just kept trying to kid herself that maybe her dad's stance would change…just as he was trying to do with her.

Clarke turned on Dante, pointing a gun at him. Horror enveloped Jacinta as she lunged for the blonde, but Bellamy caught her around the waist and held her back. Her knees were shaking but try as she might to break free, Bellamy was too strong. Dante seemed relatively unconcerned at the gun pointed in his direction.

"Clarke, we need him," Bellamy insisted.

"I need his son to believe me." Clarke spoke into the radio once again. "Don't make me do this."

"Then don't do it!" Jacinta exclaimed, trying in vain to tug against Bellamy. He held her back against his chest, gripping her arms to prevent her from lashing out.

"I didn't want this," Clarke said, and she really did look remorseful. It was in that moment Jacinta realised she was really going to do this. She was going to pull the trigger. She was going to send Cage a message.

"Neither did I," Dante said softly.

A gunshot rang through the Command Centre and Dante stumbled. Jacinta saw the crimson stain spreading across his shirt like a disease, and a wordless scream ripped free of her. She thrashed against Bellamy wildly, and he released her, letting her run over to kneel down beside her grandpa. Jacinta's fingers fumbled for his, but it was already too late. Dante was gone, his eyes staring sightly up at the roof.

Jacinta curled over her grandpa's body, her slender frame shaking with sobs. Dante had been the one to teach her right from wrong, that there could be morals even in the ugliest of situations. He had always taken good care of her. No matter what, the President always held affection for his granddaughter. He hadn't openly chastised her actions, because he had understood them. He had related to her in a way that Cage had never been able to.

Now Clarke had killed him. Her eyes flicked up and her grief clashed with her rage over what Clarke had done. Hate, that was it. That was what she felt. Pushing herself to her feet, her grandpa's blood staining the palms of her hands, Jacinta stormed across the room. She evaded Bellamy when he tried to haul her back, and her bloody hand cracked across Clarke's face, making the blonde stumble.

"Now his blood is where it belongs," Jacinta snarled, tears running down her cheeks. "On you."

"Do you want your daughter to be next?" Clarke's voice was shaking, her fingers trembling as she levelled the gun with Jacinta's chest. "Is that what it'll take to get you to stop? We just want to see our people safe."

"Clarke, no." Bellamy's voice was firm. "Jacinta's helped us. She wasn't like Dante. She wasn't a part of this."

Jacinta didn't shy away from the gun pointed at her. It scared her to realise that she wasn't afraid to die. There was so much going on now that death just seemed a part of it all. She tilted her head back and spread her arms wide, giving Clarke a clean shot. If the blonde wanted to kill her, she was an easy target. Tears – sadness over Dante's death, rage at Clarke and Cage's choices – streamed down her cheeks. A bitter smile twisted her lips upwards.

"You want to send a message, Clarke? _Do it_."

The blonde seemed to consider for a few moments, her blue eyes wide as she struggled to make a decision. Jacinta stared right at her, not backing down, not showing fear. She wasn't going to affect Clarke's judgment by giving her some kind of reaction. Clarke lowered the gun, sighing heavily and turning away from Jacinta to speak into the radio once again.

"Listen to me very carefully. I will not stop until my people are free. If you don't let them go, I will irradiate Level Five."

Jacinta felt sick to her stomach. Those people – men, women, _children_ – most hadn't received the bone marrow treatment that she had. Most of them wouldn't be able to withstand the radiation if Clarke went through with it. She glanced desperately at Bellamy, as if he would provide some magical solution. He was looking as alarmed as she felt. Conflicted again, Jacinta gazed down at the dead body of her grandpa through tear-blurred eyes, and wondered if she'd picked the right side after all.


	10. Lonely Mountain

**Chapter Ten: Lonely Mountain**

* * *

 **A/N: So I know it's been a while and I'm so sorry for leaving you hanging for this long! But here I am with the final chapter for Season 2, and all I'll say is that it's an emotional one. I was going to save this until Season 4 premiered, but I thought since it's been a while I'd treat you all a few days early. Please let me know what you think as always, and we'll be heading into Season 3 territory very soon ;)**

* * *

Cage felt sick to the stomach at the knowledge that his dad was dead. He and Dante had disagreed on many things, but it had still been his father. Clarke Griffin had shot him to prove a point. To his knowledge, Jacinta was unharmed, but he didn't know how much longer that would last. Clarke had already threatened her, and Cage knew that if the girl got desperate enough, his daughter might be the next member of his family to lose her life.

His mind was reeling with possibilities. He needed to show Clarke who was in power here, and that it wasn't her. He had already lost too much – his wife, his dad, and now if he wasn't careful, Jacinta might be next. Again, they had their differences. But Jacinta was his child, the only family he had left now. He wasn't going to lose her too, but he wasn't giving up to the Sky People. Cage felt sick at the knowledge that he might need to choose.

"Emerson."

The man approached him warily. "Sir."

"They're watching us from the Command Centre." Cage gripped the wall so tightly that his knuckles went white. "Go kill them all, but bring Jacinta to me."

"Yes, sir." Emerson trailed off, leaving Cage to wonder how loyal the man really was, particularly now that he knew what had happened to Nessa. Nonetheless, he needed results. He needed to use anyone he could right now. Licking his lips, he resolved that if Clarke was going to mess with his family, two could play at that game. Clarke's mum was one of the Sky People they had imprisoned. She would quickly learn he wasn't a man to be crossed.

Determined, Cage made his way toward the dorm. He and Clarke were both playing their last cards, but he wasn't going to lose to her. His mind drifted to his daughter. Cage was no longer certain whether Jacinta was their hostage or a willing participant in this. Nonetheless, Emerson would bring her back and out of harm's way – kicking and screaming if she decided to be rebellious.

* * *

"Emerson is coming for us."

Clarke's words roused Jacinta – the name of the one person that she hated probably even more than the girl who'd killed her grandpa. Wiping her nose on the back of her hand, she pushed herself to her feet. She knew that she was trying to play both side of the chessboard, and it wasn't working out for her. Now that Dante was dead, Jacinta was the one person who might be able to convince Cage that what he was doing was wrong. Her eyes flicked upwards to the screens overhead to see that Emerson was indeed running down the hallways to get to them.

"Let me talk to my dad." Jacinta strode over to Clarke and Bellamy, trying to act more assured than she felt. She didn't even know for sure if Cage would listen to her, but she liked to think that it was worth a try. "I can sort this out."

"Are you sure that he'd listen to you?" Bellamy looked doubtful, and Jacinta felt herself deflating. He was right, of course. No matter what Jacinta said, Cage was never going to give up the mountain. She had wanted to believe her dad might be capable of seeing reason, but this was him displaying his stubbornness. He wouldn't surrender, not to the Sky People. He was never going to stop.

"No," she admitted quietly, before she raised her voice, hoping maybe Clarke would listen to her. "But isn't it worth trying? I'm the only chance you have left. If you let me out of here, I can go to him, convince him that he's doing the wrong thing…"

"He didn't listen before and he won't now." Clarke turned to face her. The blunt words startled Jacinta, but she had to begrudgingly admit that the blonde girl was right. Cage was angry now because of Dante's death. The blame for that lay with Clarke. Dante's blood was still on Clarke's cheek from where Jacinta had slapped her.

"Maybe you shouldn't have killed Dante. Maybe then we'd have stood a chance."

It was too late for that now, and both girls knew it. The damage was done, and neither of them could repair it. A thumping at the door indicated that Emerson was attempting to force his way in. Jacinta took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself and make a decision about what they should do. She was part of the Presidential line. She should know what to do, exactly how to solve this. Yet she wasn't a President. She was a terrified teenage girl knowing that one wrong move could spell destruction for everyone.

"Why are you stopping?" Clarke asked, glancing at Monty. He had been working at the computers to try and get ready to irradiate Level 5 if that was the final decision. Jacinta looked across at him too. Part of her hoped that wasn't able to do it, that the system was too advanced for him. There was a certain solemness about him, and she felt her heart sinking. He hadn't failed. He'd been successful.

"Because I did it." Monty looked up from the computer. "All we have to do is pull this lever. Hatches and vents will open, and the scrubbers reverse, pulling in the outside air."

Bellamy's gaze was drawn to the screens. Jacinta saw the shock flash in his eyes, and followed his line of sight. Emerson was in view of the hall camera, putting a bag on the ground and setting something up outside the door. Whatever it was, it didn't look good, and Jacinta could hazard a guess. She swallowed hard as Bellamy pulled out his gun, pointing it at the door.

"He's gonna blow the door," Bellamy announced.

"Clarke, we're out of time," Monty called.

The blonde stepped forward and placed her hand on the level, preparing herself to irradiate Level 5. She glanced at the screen showing the footage from the other rooms. Her mum was still being drilled into, and Maya and the girl with her – Bellamy's sister, from what Jacinta had gathered – had been overtaken by guards. Bellamy was looking at the screen that showed his younger sister.

"My sister, my responsibility."

"I have to save them," Clarke insisted, her eyes welling with tears.

Jacinta felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to stop this, but she didn't know how. She could see her dad drilling into people on the screens, and it made her feel sick. They had been responsible for the deaths of others. Maybe she had to accept the fact that this time, they were going to the ones to face loss. Even if it killed her inside to know what would happen once that lever was pulled. She tried to say something, choked on her words, and tried again.

"Bellamy…" Her voice broke, and there was tenderness in his dark eyes when he looked at her. He reached out to her, taking his hand in hers. He squeezed lightly and stepped forward to press a kiss to the top of her head. She looked up at him, eyes pleading with him to find a solution that didn't involve this. Both of them knew that he didn't have one. Drawing away from Jacinta, Bellamy stepped forward, his gaze resting firmly on the screen.

"Together."

Clarke nodded and Bellamy placed his hand over hers. They both pulled the lever downwards. Jacinta turned away from the sight. Her stomach was twisting into knots and she was riddled with guilt, even though the logical part of her knew that this wasn't her fault. The alarms started blaring, indicating radiation. She couldn't look at the screens. Instead she staggered out of the Command Centre and headed for the dining hall. She needed to come to terms with what they had done. _They_ because she hadn't been an active participant, but she hadn't stopped it.

Pushing the doors open, Jacinta braced herself for the sight she'd be met with, but that didn't make it any easier. Dead bodies strewn over chairs and tables. Men, women, children. She felt bile rising in her throat and she couldn't help herself. Stumbling over to the wall, she vomited on the floor, coughing until she was sobbing.

"Jacinta?" It was Jasper, curled over the body of…no. _No_. Maya lay motionless on the floor in Jasper's eyes, sightless eyes staring at the ceiling. It was seeing her best friend, selfless Maya, dead on the ground that broke Jacinta. She fisted her hands in her hair and screamed. Once she started she couldn't stop. She fell to her knees beside Maya and howled so hard her throat hurt. Everyone she cared about, everyone she knew, was gone. Who was left now? Her, Cage, Emerson…that was probably it. Not many had undergone the bone marrow treatment. She should be dead too. Part of her wanted to be dead.

She was still screaming when the others entered the dining hall. She was vaguely aware that Bellamy's sister, Octavia, was trying to shake some sense into her. Then she was ripped away from Maya's corpse and she cried and struggled. She was spun around to face Bellamy, who was staring at her with so much pity that it just made her cry that much harder.

"They're all dead, _they're all dead_ ," she choked out. The Sky People would all reunite and they would embrace each other and there was no one for her. She could find her dad, but part of her felt empty in regards to him. Maybe she'd find him, or maybe she wouldn't bother. It was because of his own selfishness that this situation had happened. So much blame, and so many people to lay it on. Jacinta's head was spinning.

Bellamy pulled her close and she sobbed into his shirt. He stroked her hair and let her cry it out for a few minutes, before he drew back and cupped her face in his hands. His thumbs gently wiped away her tears. There was such a gentleness in the way that he was treating her. Was it because he knew she was a lost soul now, that she was alone?

"Come back with us," Bellamy insisted, "Come back to Arkadia."

"How can I?" Tears ran down Jacinta's cheeks. She would never be welcome with the Sky People. She would always be a reminder of Mount Weather, of a people who tried to use them for their own survival.

"Because there's nothing left for you here." Bellamy's dark gaze raked over the dining hall. "If you want to look for Cage, that's your choice. But just know that you're welcome with us. You're a friend."

Look for Cage…so he had run. It hit Jacinta like a punch to the gut to realise that her dad had abandoned her. Did he even care if she was alive or dead? She despised him for the choices he'd made, starting with dealing with Nessa's rape and ending today. No, she wouldn't search for Cage. He'd made his decision clear, and she didn't have to follow him down his path. Jacinta could choose her own path now.

"I will," she whispered the words, but then she cleared her throat and gripped Bellamy's hands tightly in her own like he was her lifeline, the only thing keeping her afloat. "I'll come with you."

* * *

At first, being in the fresh open air terrified Jacinta. She was so certain that she would have to come back inside, that the radiation would impact her too. But it never did. In most circumstances, she would have enjoyed the fresh air and the feeling of sunlight on her skin. Today, her feet felt like lead. Her entire body was heavy. She was going to a place with people she barely knew to start a new life. It was a frightening prospect, and yet at the same time, Jacinta hoped she might have a chance at a brave new future.

Arkadia was a wonder to behold. Even though it was just ruins of the space station that the Sky People had lived on, Jacinta was entranced by it. This would be her new home. These would be her new people. Only once she walked through the gates, Octavia took her arm and steered her aside. She didn't know much about Bellamy's sister – Octavia saw herself as more of a Grounder than a Sky Person and was a year younger than Jacinta, but that was about the extent of Jacinta's knowledge.

"There's something I have to tell you." Octavia examined her closely. "Lincoln…he killed your dad."

Jacinta took a moment to process the information. It didn't hurt. She wasn't sure if that was because she was so numb due to all the pain she'd experienced in the past few days, or because she was done caring about a man who only cared about himself. She licked her dry lips and nodded slowly. It was the only reaction she had. Jacinta didn't have any more tears, not for Cage. Not for her dad.

"I'm sorry," Octavia said, and that made Jacinta smile a little. Words that she didn't mean, offered up to comfort the auburn-haired girl.

"No you aren't, and it's okay that you're not. He was my dad, but I can accept that the things he did…he wasn't a good person."

Octavia looked a little astonished at her reaction. She made to turn away, but Jacinta caught her arm. There was another person who had survived the events of Mount Weather, and she was infinitely more interested in his fate than Cage's.

"What about Emerson?"

"Don't know." Octavia shrugged. "No one found him. He's probably run off to start over somewhere else."

Jacinta glanced outside the gates to Arkadia, where Bellamy and Clarke were talking. In the short amount of time since she'd met Bellamy, she'd found that she'd grown very attached to him. What exactly were they? They'd kissed, so were they just friends, or something more? She didn't know if now was the right time to consider pursuing a relationship, after everything she'd been through lately.

"He really cares about you, you know." Octavia had followed Jacinta's gaze to Bellamy, and Jacinta felt her cheeks heating up as she realised her interest was that obvious. "You make him happy. He thinks you're strong. You have a home here, Jacinta. You'll be okay."

Jacinta couldn't help but smile a little. She was glad that Octavia too had accepted her, although she didn't know if there were some Sky People who would resent her presence. Her eyes lingered on the horizon, on the mountain in the distance that had once been her home. She'd been born inside that mountain, and she'd always thought that she would die there. She tilted her head back and breathed in the fresh air. She could be happy here. It would take a while to put back together the broken pieces she'd shattered into, but she could do it.

* * *

"I think we deserve a drink," Bellamy declared as he and Clarke stood outside the gates of Arkadia. His eyes couldn't help but linger on Jacinta as he watched her talk with Octavia, visible even from a distance because of her bright red hair. He felt sorry for her the most, knowing she had lost her family and everyone she cared about – except him. He knew that his affection was different and that it might take her a while to come to terms with living at Arkadia, but he was prepared to help her in any way he could.

"Have one for me."

"Hey." Bellamy glanced at Clarke, frowning at her defeated tone. "We'll get through this."

Clarke shook her head. "I'm not going in."

"Look." Bellamy turned to face her properly. "If you need forgiveness, I'll give that to you. You're forgiven. Please come inside."

"She won't forgive me." Clarke pressed her lips together, and Bellamy knew that she was talking about Jacinta. He wanted to say that wasn't true, but he couldn't say. Perhaps Jacinta didn't place the blame just on Clarke's shoulders, but she resented the blonde girl for killing her grandpa. "Seeing their faces every day is just gonna remind me of what I did to get them here. Seeing Jacinta…I'm going to be reminded of what I did to her family, of what I took away from her."

"What _we_ did," Bellamy reminded her. They'd both pulled the lever, after all. "You don't have to do this alone."

"I bear it so they don't have to," Clarke said, repeating words that Dante had said to her, what felt like a lifetime ago now. Bellamy didn't know what to say. He knew that he couldn't dissuade Clarke if this was her choice, but he also didn't think her leaving was going to solve anything.

"Where you gonna go?"

"I don't know," Clarke admitted. She leaned in and kissed Bellamy's cheek, hugging him close. "May we meet again."

She drew back, turning and walking towards the woods. Bellamy didn't know what he was going to say to Abby, to anyone, about Clarke's sudden departure. He paused as he headed back towards the gates.

"May we meet again," he muttered.

Then he strode back towards Arkadia, towards his sister and the girl he was almost certain that he was starting to love. The girl he would give anything to see smile again. One day, not now and not tomorrow but in the near future, Jacinta would be happy again. He'd make sure of it.


	11. Weapon of Choice

**Chapter Eleven: Weapon of Choice**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello lovely readers! Thank you so much for your reviews, favourites and follows. This chapter ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and also reveals a pretty major plot twist for Jacinta ;) I hope you enjoy and please, thoughts are always welcome and appreciated :)**

* * *

Even three months after the annihilation of her people, it still surprised Jacinta that she could breathe in the fresh air outside the Ark. She kept expecting that she would sudden find her skin blistering, feel her lungs burning. She had repetitive nightmares about the time she had been exposed to radiation, right before her dad had injected her with the bone marrow that had saved her life. If that incident hadn't ever happened, where would she be now? Dead along with the rest of her people?

The Sky People – her people now, Jacinta supposed – made supply runs to Mount Weather on a fairly regular basis. At first, she'd been silently uncomfortable with this. She'd viewed it almost as a violation, but over time she'd learned to tolerate it. Jacinta often accompanied them on these supply runs. She knew the place better than any of them, but that wasn't the only reason. Her reason for going along was far more personal. Those within the mountain, the innocents who had died because of her dad and Clarke, deserved to be laid to rest.

So while the Sky People entered the mountain in search of supplies, Jacinta dug graves. There had been a little less than 350 people left within the mountain at the time Clarke irradiated it. 350 people, three months. Before all of this, Jacinta had been pale and physically quite weak. Now her skin was freckled from all her time spent in the sun, her body leanly muscled from the graves she had dug and the walking she had done. Over time, some of the Sky People seemed to pity her, because she had helpers moving out the bodies and doing the graves. The most prominent of these was her boyfriend, Bellamy.

At first, she hadn't wanted to label their relationship. She hadn't known what they were. But over the months that had passed, she and Bellamy had grown extremely close. He was probably the only person in Arkadia she truly trusted. There was an intimacy between them that she couldn't quite explain. He understand and accepted that she was still emotionally fragile, and all he wanted to do was help her.

Jacinta sighed and drummed her fingers across the rim of her cup. She was sitting just outside Arkadia staring up at the mountain, as she was prone to doing whenever she fell deep in thought. Her gaze dropped to the steaming coffee in her mug. Although most of the Sky People had accepted her as one of their own, there were still those who whispered behind her back. She didn't know what they said, but she could guess. She looked up at the sound of boots crunching over gravel. A tight smile crossed her lips as Raven Reyes limped over and flopped on the ground beside her.

"How's it going?"

Jacinta offered the girl her coffee. "It's going okay."

She and Raven had become pretty good friends over the past few months. Raven was incredibly smart, but had lost full use of one of her legs a little while ago. Jacinta had tried to help where she could, but quickly discovered that Raven preferred to do things her own way, even if it took longer. Raven took a long sip of the coffee, following the direction of Jacinta's gaze.

"You can't stop thinking about it, can you?"

"It's all so fresh still." Jacinta rubbed at her arms, suddenly feeling cold. "I still have nightmares about all of those bodies in the mess hall. Sometimes I wish it was just a nightmare, and I could wake up and none of this had ever happened."

"How's stuff with Bellamy?" Raven's voice took a sly, teasing tone as she handed the coffee back to Jacinta, grinning at the blush that rose in the redhead's cheeks.

"We're doing as well as can be expected, I guess. I haven't…I've never really had a proper boyfriend before."

"Have you two…?" Raven trailed off tactfully, but Jacinta still knew what she was trying to ask, her cheeks beginning to flare with heat. She shook her head fervently. Although she and Bellamy had progressed well in their relationship, physical intimacy was still something Jacinta found herself shying away from. Bellamy didn't push it in the least, yet she couldn't help but feel she was making a problem where there wasn't one.

"No," she admitted softly. "I guess I just have other things on my mind."

"Emerson?" Raven asked. The name was one of the few things that could make Jacinta's blood begin to boil. Of all the people who had died in Mount Weather, the one who had most deserved it had been the one to escape. She hated the knowledge that he was out there, unaffected by radiation. After the crimes he had committed, he didn't deserve to be free.

Jacinta was not a violent person by nature. Although she knew much about weapons and military strategy, having grown up in a military base, these were things that she never wanted to put into practise. She had done enough damage during the incident that had cost the lives of everyone she cared about. Yet when Emerson finally emerged, she'd be there, with a gun pointed at his head.

"I'll find him."

 _And I'll kill him._

* * *

Mapping missions were frequent and very rarely involved danger. Jacinta had yet to see anyone come back injured, which was why she didn't understand Bellamy's reasoning for insisting that she didn't accompany them on the mapping mission to Sector 7. She sat on her boyfriend's bed and watched him with raised eyebrows. Was it that he didn't think she was capable? That he thought she would be safer in Arkadia? She folded her arms over her chest as she watched him tug a shirt on.

"I'd be an asset, Bellamy. I know my way around better than anyone…"

"Except for Grounders," Bellamy reminded her, making Jacinta sigh. She was constantly hearing about the Grounders and the threat that they posed. Chancellor Griffin had assured Jacinta she would be in the most danger – while the Sky People were new, Jacinta's people had been capturing and murdering Grounders for decades. Although she was little more than a child, there were some who would hold her responsible for those crimes.

"But what's the likelihood we'll encounter any hostile ones?" Jacinta argued. She and Bellamy didn't often disagree, but on this she wanted to stand her ground. She felt useless most of the time in Arkadia, desperate to be something more than another mouth to feed. Her knowledge of Mount Weather and its resources was helpful, but there would come a time when they didn't need her to navigate it. It was a question Jacinta had been asking herself – what was her role? What was she good at? Her dad and grandpa had been leaders, but in this community, that wasn't an option. The Sky People would never follow a Mountain woman.

"Sector 7 is right on the Ice Nation border." Bellamy turned to face her. Seeing the sullen look on her face, he crossed over and sat beside her on the bed, taking her hands in his. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, or in trouble."

Jacinta sighed, but didn't drew her hands away. Bellamy's comfort was always welcome to her, especially since there was no family she could seek that from anymore. She couldn't afford to push him away, not when she was just beginning to make friends here. She didn't trust anyone else the way she trusted Bellamy. She understood his reasoning. That didn't mean she had to like it.

"I don't need to be protected."

"Next one." Bellamy pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I promise."

The assurance made her feel a little better, and she couldn't stop the small smile that tweaked at the corners of her lips without her permission. Bellamy noticed it and took the opportunity to hug her. Jacinta hugged back, resting her chin on his shoulder and closing her eyes contentedly. For so long, she had been conflicted, knowing she had lost her home within Mount Weather. Now she realised she'd found a different kind of home. Home was wherever she was with Bellamy.

"I want you to be careful out there." Jacinta drew back, taking Bellamy's face gently in her hands. "Things have been good these past few months, but I get worried they'll get bad again eventually. Please don't take any risks."

Bellamy responded by kissing her passionately. She responded with just as much enthusiasm, pressing closer against him. Before she'd gotten into a relationship with him, she hadn't realised just how amazing kissing could be. Sure, she'd kissed a few boys in Mount Weather, but it hadn't been the same. It had been for the sake of doing it, for the thrill of sharing gossip about the encounters. With Bellamy, she didn't feel that at all. There was only this moment between them, something that didn't need to be shared with anyone else unless they chose to.

Jacinta's hands wandered down Bellamy's chest. Even through the fabric of his shirt, she could feel the muscles there. She smiled against his lips as his fingers caught in her auburn hair, tugging her tighter against him. With him, all of this felt natural. She had thought she'd be awkward, but Bellamy was very perceptive. It hadn't taken him long to discover that she loved having her neck kissed, or that she drifted off to sleep faster when he was toying with her hair. Jacinta wanted more of him, more of this – but not now. After a few more moments with her lips moving against his, she drew away.

"I should let you go." She sounded breathless even to her own ears.

"I'll be back before you know it." His voice was husky, hands resting on her hips. She wished they could stay like that for a while longer, but instead she extricated herself from his grasp and eased herself to her feet. Even if she wasn't going out on a mapping mission, Jacinta was determined to make herself worth something in Arkadia.

* * *

It wasn't uncommon to hear a commotion happening in some part of Arkadia. Scuffles between kids or teenagers, bickering between adults. Tensions rose and fell like the tide, but something about tonight was different. As Jacinta headed into the cafeteria, red hair swinging in a ponytail behind her, she saw that Jasper had been restrained. Jasper, who had been impacted by Maya's death. Jasper, who acted like the tragedy within Mount Weather only affected him. Jacinta glanced at Raven and Chancellor Griffin as she walked over.

"What's going on?"

Raven tensed, exchanging a wary look with Chancellor Griffin. Abby, that was the woman's first name. It was taking Jacinta a little while to put names to faces with those she didn't associate with often. The guards released Jasper, and she turned her attention on him. If the others weren't going to talk, she hoped to get an answer from him. At the back of her mind, she already knew what his outburst had been in relation to.

"Well?"

"All these things belonged to people once." Jasper gestured toward the piano, and several other items in the cafeteria. His angry gaze fixated on Jacinta. "Or did you forget that? Have you really slotted in here so well that you don't remember some of these things belonged to your people?"

Raven audibly sucked in her breath, but Jacinta didn't even look at her. She only had eyes for Jasper. She could feel it building up – the anger and the pain she had been trying to bury these past few months, bury along with the bodies of her people. Jasper had said it himself. They were _her_ people. Not his. He might have cared for Maya, but he didn't know her the way Jacinta did. Maya had been her best friend since they were tiny. Jacinta didn't expect Jasper not to mourn her, but to try and turn the tables on her? She wasn't having it.

"How long were you in Mount Weather?" Jacinta asked quietly, planting her hands on her hips. "A few weeks, maybe? Sure, you got to know Maya pretty well. You knew her, you knew a couple of people, for _a few weeks_. I knew them for eighteen years. I knew all of them by name."

"So what, you get to be upset and I don't?" Jasper demanded. She'd hoped that he would shy away from the topic once he realised he'd stepped into something he shouldn't have, but instead he was challenging her. "Go float yourself, Jacinta."

"I didn't say that." She shook her head fervently. "I'm saying if I can come to terms with the fact that things in Mount Weather are being used here, why can't you?"

Jasper didn't have an answer for that. Instead he met her fierce gaze with a resolute glare of his own. Even though he wasn't speaking, Jacinta knew that look. He thought he was justified in his outrage. She balled her hands into fists, feeling the sting of tears pricking at her vision.

"They were my _family_!" Jacinta exclaimed, losing all semblance of calm and collected. "They are _all dead_. I never told you not to mourn Maya, but don't you for a second forget what I lost in Mount Weather."

The cafeteria was painfully silent. Raven stepped forward, resting a comforting hand on Jacinta's arm as the tears spilled down her cheeks. She thought she had put this behind her, thought she could move on after what had happened. But Jasper's behaviour had dug up everything Jacinta thought she'd buried. She pressed a hand over her mouth. Everyone was watching her. She was exposed and vulnerable. All of these people, bearing witness to how much she was hurting.

"I know what you _took_ from Mount Weather," Jasper snapped, before shrugging off the guards who hovered around him and stomping out of the cafeteria. Jacinta's stomach twisted, because she knew exactly what Jasper was talking about. She hadn't thought anyone had really been paying attention to what she was doing in Mount Weather during their excursions, but apparently, one person had been.

Ignoring her shaking hands, Jacinta swept out of the cafeteria as well, heading back towards her room. She was angry at herself now for not doing better, not making sure she hadn't been watched. Jasper hadn't exposed her secret, but his words would rouse suspicion in the other Sky People. She went to close her door behind her, only for someone to fling out a hand and prevent it from slamming shut.

"Jacinta." It was Abby. "Can we talk?"

"Okay," Jacinta stammered, knowing that she couldn't exactly try and bar the Chancellor from her room. She was here to make friends, not enemies. Although Abby seemed a sympathetic person, she doubted the woman was here to comfort her. No, Abby was here because she'd heard what Jasper said and wanted to know what it meant. Heart hammering fast in her chest, Jacinta sat down on the edge of her bed, knees jiggling nervously.

"I just want to talk," Abby insisted, her voice soft and soothing, "You're not in any trouble. Can you tell me what Jasper was talking about when he said you'd been taking something from Mount Weather?"

Jacinta could lie and pretend she didn't know what Jasper was talking about, but the truth always came to light eventually. If she wanted these people to trust her, she had to be honest. She didn't think her behaviour was anything to be ashamed of, but she did know it might be seen as sneaky.

"Weapons," she murmured.

Abby raised her eyebrows. "What weapons?"

Jacinta heaved a sigh. She didn't really know what exactly had prompted it in their first venture back to Mount Weather. At the time, she'd still been haunted by the deaths of her people. So when she'd headed into the armoury, remembering all the guns and other devices that had been stocked there…she'd taken as many as she could, stuffing them in the rucksack she'd brought with her. After all the violence and bloodshed that had occurred in Mount Weather, she'd been determined never to let such horrors happen again.

"Any I could get my hands on."

"Why?" Abby's brow furrowed into a frown.

"Because of what happened." Jacinta met the Chancellor's gaze, clasping her hands in her lap. "So many awful things happened in Mount Weather. Weapons weren't the cause of them, but without weapons, things might have ended differently. I took them so that you couldn't use them."

Abby looked a little stunned by Jacinta's confession, but she composed herself quickly. Sometimes it was easy for Jacinta to forget that this was Clarke's mum. Clarke hadn't been seen in months – and it didn't really bother Jacinta. Abby was in some ways like her daughter, but in some ways very different from her. She raked a hand through her wavy brown hair.

"I'm not going to say I understand what you're going through. You experienced a lot, and I'd actually like to check if you have PTSD…"

" _No_." The word resonated through the room like the crack of a whip. Jacinta knew what PTSD was, of course. It seemed a trivial thing to apply to her. She didn't want help, she didn't need it. She would get through this by herself, maybe with some help from Bellamy. She needed time, not someone telling her that she was psychologically damaged.

"Alright," Abby's tone was mild and she nodded slowly. "That's your decision, it was only a suggestion. But the weapons…Jacinta, you can't keep those. I'm sure you can understand why."

"Because you don't want me keeping them from you."

"No." Abby shook her head. "What I saw tonight in the cafeteria…there's a lot of anger in you. Now, I don't think you would deliberately use any of those weapons against us. I like to believe we're past all of that. But that's not to say you wouldn't act on instinct and accidentally hurt someone else, or even yourself."

Jacinta lapsed into silence. She couldn't argue with that. Before Abby could say anything else, she reached down under the bed, hands fumbling around for a few moments before catching a hold of her rucksack. She dragged it out and nudged it towards Abby with her foot. She watched intently as the Chancellor opened the bag to see all of the weapons that she'd managed to stuff in there. Abby looked up and offered Jacinta a grateful smile.

"Thank you. I'm not trying to make this hard for you – I know you've had a rough time, and I know you've become close with lots of people here, especially Bellamy. But I'm sure you understand, we can't have people storing a hoard of weapons in their rooms."

"I do," Jacinta said softly. She remained perched on the bed as Abby picked up the rucksack. The Chancellor cast a glance at the redhead as the girl kept jiggling her legs, unsettled and restless.

"I really hope you find yourself fitting in here soon."

* * *

Jacinta was woken by a frantic pounding on her door. Immediately alert, she swung her legs over the side of the mattress, rubbing at her eyes. She wondered who exactly wanted her – if it was Bellamy, he wouldn't have been knocking so insistently. Opening the door, Jacinta's eyes widened when she saw Abby standing there, her hands covered in blood. Swallowing hard, Jacinta ran a hand through her tangled hair.

"What happened?"

"Nyko, a Grounder ally of ours." Abby summoned for Jacinta to follow and the redhead did so, very much aware that she was still in her pyjamas. "He was attacked by the Ice Nation."

"What?" Jacinta was overcome by sudden panic. If a Grounder had been attacked by his own kind – even if it was the aggressive Ice Nation – then what was happening with Bellamy and the others? They had been on the mapping mission for a while now, and now she couldn't help but assume the worst. "Bellamy and the others…"

"He wasn't with them." Abby shook her head. "But I need your help. We don't have the resources here to help Nyko, but we should be able to get him a blood transfusion if we head to Mount Weather. I need you to come with us because we don't have time to search for medical supplies ourselves. You know where everything is?"

Jacinta hesitated, then nodded. She was very much aware of the responsibility on her shoulders. If this Nyko died on her watch, then the Sky People might think she did it deliberately, might think it was her attempt at getting some sort of twisted revenge. But if she refused to help altogether, that would only make things worse. She had wanted a way to help the Sky People, to prove herself useful. Maybe this was an opportunity.

"Good." Abby looked down at her bloodstained hands. "I need you ready as soon as possible. Meet us by the rover and we'll get going."

* * *

Jacinta was tense the entire trip to Mount Weather. She knew what was at stake, how it would look if she failed. Even if people knew she hadn't meant it there would always be whispers, that handful of people suspicious of her who thought she'd done it deliberately. Watching over Nyko in the back of the rover, she was determined not to let him die. She remembered his words to her as they'd travelled toward the mountain.

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

"Mountain People?" Jacinta asked for clarification, and Nyko nodded. "Yes. I am. But I'm here to help."

He fell silent for a long time, and she'd wondered whether he'd fallen asleep or just thought she was lying. She couldn't say she'd blame him – after all, her people had been doing appalling things to the Grounders for decades. After a little, he gave a hacking cough.

"I believe you."

It was those three words that gave Jacinta the fuel to find a solution. That a Grounder believed her, after the enmity between their people. She wanted to prove Nyko and the others right, that she could be trusted. So once they headed into Mount Weather, she'd headed straight for the medical facilities. The others would get Nyko settled while Jacinta grabbed the supplies they'd need for a transfusion.

Yet she couldn't help but feel curious. She'd had her own transfusion months before. The others hadn't been a match for Nyko, but what if she might be now? She had Grounder bone marrow, Grounder blood. That was how she had survived, the only reason she was still breathing. She hadn't needed any blood tests or medical check-ups since her arrival at Arkadia, and she hadn't gotten any since her surgery.

Dr Tsing had done blood checks so many times that Jacinta had gotten used to seeing how it was done. She took a syringe and gently eased it into the crook of her arm, biting her lip at the slight sting when the needle pierced the skin. But what came out into the syringe was more shocking than anything Jacinta had been prepared for, more terrifying than the confused symbols on the device that didn't recognise her blood type.

The blood in the syringe wasn't red. It was black.


	12. Vendetta

**Chapter Twelve: Vendetta**

* * *

 **A/N: So about time for an update after that cliffhanger, right? Anyway this chapter doesn't hugely delve into Jacinta's discovery at the end of last chapter - after all, there's a lot more going on - but I can promise it'll be a big deal very soon ;)**

* * *

"Who are all these people, Bell?" Jacinta leaned in the doorway to the mess hall, her arms folded over her chest. She made no attempt to disguise her displeasure at the fact that there was a band of people eating and laughing in a place that had once belonged to _her_ people. No one had mentioned it but once Bellamy had arrived, she knew he'd have some answers for her.

"Farm Station survivors," Bellamy explained, noting her tense posture. "They were in Ice Nation territory. Many of them were attacked, so we brought them here to recover. It's only temporary."

"It had better be," Jacinta muttered under her breath. She didn't like the thought of people she didn't know being in a place she'd once called home. A year ago, she would have been able to name anyone within Mount Weather. Now, she only knew a handful of names and faces. It made her feel incredibly isolated.

The leader of the group was a bald, swarthy man she'd heard referred to as Pike. He seemed comfortable here. All of them. Jacinta didn't like it, possibly because after three months with the Sky People, she still didn't feel comfortable herself. Bellamy rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. His dark eyes were concerned. She really wished he wouldn't worry so much about her.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jacinta forced a smile. "Being back here it just…sometimes it's hard."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. The discovery that her blood wasn't normal terrified Jacinta and she didn't know what to do about it. She'd destroyed the syringe. She didn't want to ask Abby, scared what it might mean. Black blood definitely wasn't something normal, and the fact that she was abnormal didn't sit well with her. She heaved a sigh, forcing herself not to dwell on it. There was already too much going on with her freaky blood.

"You should get some air." Bellamy linked his fingers through hers, jerking his head toward the corridor. "Come on. Let's go outside for a bit."

Jacinta was, as always, grateful for him. She couldn't help but smile, taking his hand and letting him lead her out. The fact that she could go outside, the fact that she could breathe fresh air and not worry about it burning her, was still a novelty to Jacinta. After being cooped up in Mount Weather for eighteen years, experiencing sunlight and nature was as magical to her as it was for the Sky People – who of course had been in space.

As they headed outside, she paused when Bellamy spotted Octavia. The two siblings rarely got time together, and although she had nothing against Octavia, the girls weren't yet close enough that Jacinta felt comfortable hanging out with just her and Bellamy. Besides, she had other things on her mind, horrible things. Her surroundings were beautiful, but Jacinta could still remember the circumstances under which she'd first seen the outside. Beautiful, but deadly.

The sound of a commotion made her spin around to see that two men were marching over a Grounder. Jacinta tensed at the sight of her, automatically on edge. There was no love lost between the Mountain People and the Grounders, and she was painfully aware that there were still some who might choose to blame her for the crimes of her people. Hesitating momentarily, she approached when she saw that Bellamy and Octavia were also doing so.

"What's going on?" she asked, directing her words and her gaze at Bellamy.

"The summit's a trap," Bellamy said. Although she'd only heard a little of what was happening – a political summit occurring in Polis with the Grounder coalition – Jacinta knew enough to be wary.

"A trap how?"

"They're going to be attacked," Octavia stated.

Suddenly, the black blood wasn't Jacinta's biggest concern. Suddenly, everything happening in Polis was much more worthy of her attention. She didn't know who they were going to be attacked by, but she didn't need to. The threat to the Sky People – who'd become the closest thing Jacinta had to _her_ people – was enough to stress her out.

* * *

Jacinta strode determinedly into the mess hall, where the light-hearted conversation had quickly descended into something more serious at the knowledge that their people were about to be attacked. A few of the Farm Station people had crowded around Echo, the Grounder who'd brought the news. Apparently, Bellamy knew her and trusted her. Jacinta vaguely remembered her face, one of the numerous Grounder prisoners within Mount Weather, but other than that she couldn't say much about her.

"Listen up," Bellamy called as Jacinta entered the hall, along with Raven and her mentor Sinclair. "Okay, if we want to get to Polis before the attack, we have to move."

"Attack?" Sinclair asked, frowning. "Do we have confirmation of that?"

"We radioed but no one answered," Bellamy explained. To Jacinta, that could mean any number of things, but it didn't necessarily confirm that they'd already lost them.

"They may already be dead for all we know," Pike said bluntly, spreading his arms wide. He turned his gaze upon Sinclair. "If they are, we need to be ready to respond."

"Don't make this about the missiles," Sinclair said quietly, but Jacinta still heard him and stiffened. They were planning on using Mount Weather's missiles against the Grounders? Her heart thumped in her chest. She didn't want to go there again, to that dark place. That place of war and bloodshed. She'd already lost her people.

"This is about survival," Pike insisted, "We may not have the numbers, but the missiles in this mountain even the playing field and you know I'm right."

"Even if I did agree with you, we still don't have the launch codes," Sinclair responded. Both men fell silent, turning and looking at Jacinta. They might not have known exactly who she was – especially Pike – but they'd probably heard about the redheaded girl who was the only survivor from Mount Weather.

"Well, I don't have the codes," Jacinta said irritably, choosing not to add that even if she did, she sure as hell wouldn't be handing them over to the likes of Pike. The weapons in this mountain had been off-limits even to her. Now she was thankful for that, knowing that people like Pike would do anything in their power to use her, to control those weapons. Ignorance kept her safe.

"Do you think you could find them?" Pike demanded, and she hated the fact that she was now centre of his attention. She immediately had a bad feeling about this man. She disliked him. Maybe it was because some part of him reminded her of her dad, the part that didn't mind using violence as a form of retribution.

"No." Jacinta folded her arms. "I'm just as useless as the rest of you when it comes to this. If you wanted to know what the launch codes were, maybe you shouldn't have decided to kill all of my people."

"Okay, well, maybe I can help," Raven cut in, clearly sensing the tension between Jacinta and Pike. The auburn-haired girl was grateful for the interruption, but it was Bellamy she turned her gaze upon.

"I want to come to Polis," she murmured, not wanting to interrupt the intense conversation that the others were having. She was disappointed but not overly surprised when he shook his head vehemently.

"Absolutely not."

"Why?" Jacinta scowled. "It's my choice, not yours. Besides, I'm no use here and I don't particularly feel like being constantly hounded for launch codes. Therefore, I'm coming to Polis."

In truth, Jacinta was also curious about the Grounder capital. She knew very little about it, as she did about most things outside of Mount Weather. Maybe it wasn't exactly the best opportunity to explore it, but it was now or never. It wasn't like she was going to be receiving an invitation to Polis anytime soon. Bellamy sighed, realising that her firm resolve wasn't going to waver. Before her people had been slaughtered, Jacinta had been different. Stubborn and determined, but less likely to voice a dissenting opinion. Now she spoke her mind openly with no fear of the repercussions.

"Okay, okay."

Jacinta grinned at his defeated words, kissing his lips quickly. She understood very well that Bellamy only wanted to protect her, but being in this place – where she'd lost everyone, where she'd discovered she was some kind of genetic anomaly – wasn't what she wanted. Once she'd called this her home, but Mount Weather wasn't her life anymore. She'd progressed past that. Hopefully Bellamy could get that.

* * *

In the past few months, Jacinta had definitely grown more physically fit – but the speed at which they travelled to Polis challenged even her new fitness level. There was little time for her to admire the unusual sight of the Grounder capital, including the massive tower that seemed to dominate all else. By the time they reached the top of the tower, Jacinta's entire body was aching and her lungs were burning. However as they entered the meeting room and gazed around, everything seemed to be proceeding as usual.

Echo had conveniently vanished, making Bellamy's claims that she'd been the one to inform him seem baseless. As he cast wildly around, trying to make sense of everything, a sick feeling descended into the pit of Jacinta's stomach. She lunged for Bellamy, grabbing his arm tightly with determined fingers, but the crackling of the radio came through first, making both of them glance down at it.

"Bellamy! Bellamy, come in!" It was Raven's desperate voice. "The Grounders attacked Mount Weather."

Jacinta's fingers slackened on Bellamy's sleeve. She tugged away as if Raven's voice was fire and it had burned her.

"What are you talking about?" Bellamy inquired.

"It's gone, they're all gone." Raven sounded like she either was or had recently been crying. "Sinclair and I are the only ones left. I'm so sorry."

The sound of her sobbing and apologising filled the room, causing the Grounders to mutter among themselves, clearly concerned. Jacinta felt like Raven's words were driving through her like a stake. This was all too painful. Mount Weather wasn't her home anymore, but it had still been full of reminders of what had once been. She'd collected most of her personal belongings, but the nostalgia associated with the life she'd once lived remained. Only now that too had been brutally torn away from her.

Jacinta pressed her hands over her face as she realised all eyes had turned on her. The Mountain girl, the sole survivor of the massacre – except for one other. The pieces of the puzzle came together and a cry of rage and grief ripped free of Jacinta. She couldn't be in this room anymore. She couldn't have all these strangers staring at her. She turned and ran with no goal but to be alone.

 _Isn't that just it?_ A snide little voice in her head taunted her. _You've been alone since the day you turned your back on your people._

Jacinta broke down into hysterical sobs, collapsing to her knees. She couldn't even focus on trying to breathe. Her home had been ripped away from her a second time and this time, she knew precisely who was responsible. Her slender frame shook with fury. Mount Weather was equipped with self-destruct codes that could be activated in case of emergency. Jacinta didn't know what they were. But Carl Emerson, the only other survivor of the massacre, her mortal enemy, did.

She let out a frustrated, wordless scream. Here she had hoped he had vanished into the wild for good. But now apparently he was plotting with some of the Grounders. The fact that he'd been victorious made her feel sick to the stomach. She felt a strong pair of hands clamp around her wrists and she struggled, only to realise that it was Bellamy. He was trying to pull her to her feet, but Jacinta didn't have the strength to stand. She was tired. She was so tired of fighting.

"Hey." Bellamy kneeled down in front of her, reaching forward to tuck her hair behind her ear. "I know this is hard for you. I know it must be like losing it all over again. But we can get through this, okay? I'm here for you."

"You don't understand," Jacinta choked out the words, "It was him, Bellamy. He was the only other survivor, and he's the only person who knows the self-destruct code. It was Emerson."

"We don't know the specifics yet," Bellamy insisted, but his words only made her more aggravated.

"Don't. I know it was him."

Bellamy wrapped her in a tight embrace, holding her close as she sniffed and tried to hold back more tears. Jacinta didn't care what anyone else thought. She knew who was responsible for this atrocity, and she intended to hold him fully accountable. Carl Emerson, with even more blood on his hands. Well, Jacinta was about ready to get some blood on her own.

 _I will hunt him. I will find him. I will kill him._

* * *

The mood in Arkadia had changed drastically since the attack on Mount Weather, and Jacinta wasn't sure that it was for the better. Pike had taken to preaching hatred of the Grounders, and what concerned Jacinta was the fact that some people were beginning to listen to him. She had disliked him from the start, and knowing he was attempting to blame the actions of a select few on an entire people made her extremely uncomfortable. What if some people got the same idea about her and what the Mountain People had been doing?

"Can you believe that Pike is going to run for Chancellor?" Jacinta scoffed as she tugged off her boots, ready to unwind after a difficult few days. Her emotions had been all over the place and even though she knew that Bellamy wanted to help as best he could, there were certain things that even he didn't understand.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Bellamy frowned slightly. "People died because of a mistake we made."

"He's wanting us to turn on the Grounders." Jacinta glanced over her shoulder at him, unable to believe that he might be siding with Pike. She'd expected him to agree with her, not think that Pike as Chancellor might be a good idea. She could honestly think of nothing worse.

"Well, weren't they the reason this happened?" Bellamy demanded.

"You can't blame the Grounders for this," Jacinta insisted. In fact, she didn't even understand why Bellamy would. Although they'd been working with a Mountain Man, they'd never have been able to take down the mountain if it hadn't been for Emerson. "We all know who's really to blame.

"Of course we do," Bellamy's voice was sarcastic, making her frown. "Emerson. Because that's just it with you, isn't it? Emerson's always responsible. I don't even know why you hate him so much. But honestly Jacinta, your grudge against him makes him accountable for everything."

"You want to know why I hate him so much?" Jacinta's eyes narrowed. Maybe once she would have shied away from this story. To preserve whose reputation though? Her dad's? Emerson's? Neither of them deserved it. They were tainted and they deserved to be exposed for it. "Because he raped my mum, and she walked out into the radiation knowing it would kill her. Her suicide was because of him. My dad found out and you know what he did? Nothing. Because Emerson was too _valuable_ to him."

"So that's why you have this vendetta," Bellamy said, as if Jacinta's anger toward Emerson meant she'd gone crazy. Maybe Bellamy didn't understand how the mountain worked, but Jacinta did.

"It's not about that at all!" Jacinta snapped, her temper stretching to breaking point. "I know he did this. I don't need you to believe, but I don't need you painting me like some lunatic either."

"Then maybe you should stop acting like one!" Bellamy exclaimed.

By the way his eyes widened, he immediately wished the words unsaid – but the damage was already done. Jacinta flinched away, hurt beyond belief. Her own boyfriend thought she was going crazy because she thought Emerson should take responsibility for what happened to Mount Weather. Meanwhile, he was willing to put the blame firmly and solely on the Grounders. How did that make them any different?

"Jacey…" Bellamy's voice was soft now, full of regret.

"No." She drew away from him. "You've made how you feel _very_ clear."

She turned and marched away. Bellamy was the one person she thought would believe her, believe _in_ her. Instead he'd twisted this against her, as if her anger and hatred toward Emerson was completely unfounded. If he didn't want to help her, that was completely fine. But she would learn where Emerson was, and who he had allied with. He deserved to suffer for the things he'd done, but Jacinta didn't think she had that much darkness in her. She'd give him something he didn't deserve: a quick and painless death.


End file.
